In show of force to Trump, Venezuela launches military drills and displays its Russian fighter jets

Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro addresses supporters during an event marking the anniversary of his disputed re-election and the birthday of late President Hugo Chavez, in Caracas, Venezuela, Monday, July 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)

Venezuela has launched three days of military exercises and put on display its Russian-built fighter jets in a show of force aimed at the U.S. amid rising tensions over Washington’s deployment of U.S. warships to the Caribbean.

More than 2,500 soldiers have been mobilized on Venezuela’s Caribbean island of La Orchila for the exercises, dubbed “Sovereign Caribbean 200,” that will include air, sea and land maneuvers.

Twelve naval ships of various classes and types, 22 aircraft and about 20 boats will take part, Venezuelan Defence Minister Vladimir Padrino said on the state-run channel VTV.

His comments accompanied a broadcast showing amphibious craft and troops landing on a beach as warships sailed off the island and jets flew over the sea.

Separately, Venezuela has also been showcasing many of its Russian-made fighter jets equipped with anti-ship missiles.

Padrino described the drills, which began Wednesday, as part of Venezuela’s response to the deployment of the U.S. warships to the region.

Washington insists those ships – which include three Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, the cruiser Lake Erie, the amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima, and a nuclear-powered submarine – are on a mission to combat drug trafficking, but Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has claimed the deployment is aimed at regime change.

The U.S. has previously accused Maduro of involvement in drug trafficking and has put a US$50 million bounty on his head.

Caracas also claims to have deployed millions of militiamen throughout the country, with Maduro warning last month that “no empire will touch the sacred soil of Venezuela.”

The exercises were launched a day after U.S. President Donald Trump said the U.S. had struck a total of three boats in the Caribbean, claiming they were transporting drugs from Venezuela.

The U.S. said it struck the first boat – allegedly tied to the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua – on Sept. 2, killing 11 people. On Monday, Trump announced a second strike against alleged “narcoterrorists,” which the administration said killed three people.

Then on Tuesday, Trump told reporters, “We knocked off three boats, actually, not two. But you saw two.”

Russian jets in Venezuela’s arsenal

The exercises come after Venezuela on Monday released images of Russian-made Sukhoi Su-30 fighter jets equipped with anti-ship missiles.

Its air force posted a video on Instagram showing the aircraft, first on the ground, where the missiles can be seen hanging from the wings, and then in flight.

At least part of the video had already been shared on social media in 2024, CNN confirmed. It is not clear when the remaining footage was taken. CNN has reached out to Venezuela’s Ministry of Defence for more information.

According to the post, the jets are Russian Sukhoi Su-30 MK2 fighters from the 13th “Lions” Fighter Air Group, armed with Russian-made Kh-31 “Krypton” air-to-surface anti-ship missiles.

According to a report from the Centre for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies, Venezuela has purchased an unknown number of these missiles from Russia, which arrived in the country between 2007 and 2008.

And according to a 2024 open-source assessment of various military forces by the International Institute for Strategic Studies, Venezuela has both anti-ship and anti-radar versions of the Kh-31 missiles. It also operates a total of 21 Su-30MK2 fighters, although it is unclear how many are in service given the country’s economic problems over the past decade, which have affected Venezuela’s arsenal.

A report by the Venezuelan NGO Control Ciudadano on military air accidents in Venezuela over the past two decades highlights both the government’s “opacity” in its reports and possible “problems of system obsolescence, maintenance and lack of spare parts.”

CNN has reached out to the U.S. Departments of Defense and State for comment.

On Tuesday, Trump’s special envoy for special missions, Richard Grenell, said he still believes it is possible for the United States to reach an agreement with Venezuela and avoid war.