US Marine Ospreys land at US Embassy in Caracas in first major American military exercise on Venezuelan soil since Maduro was ousted in January
Two MV-22B Ospreys from Marine squadron VMM-263, deployed aboard the USS Iwo Jima in the Caribbean, landed inside the recently reopened US Embassy compound in Caracas on Saturday. US Southern Command chief Marine General Francis Donovan also met with senior Venezuelan officials that same day, four months after Maduro left office.
Two US Marine MV-22B Ospreys landed inside the US Embassy compound in Caracas on Saturday, the first major American military exercise on Venezuelan soil since President Maduro was ousted in January. The tiltrotors came from Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 263 aboard the USS Iwo Jima in the Caribbean. The embassy called the drill a key component of rapid-response mission readiness. Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yvan Gil framed it as preparation for medical or catastrophic emergencies. US Southern Command chief Marine General Francis Donovan also met senior Venezuelan officials. The US restored full diplomatic relations and reopened the embassy roughly two months ago. Sources: PBS NewsHour, Task and Purpose, Fox News, LiveNOW from FOX, RT, Chattanooga Times Free Press, APS Radio News.