US ramps up recon flights near Venezuela amid threats of looming military action

The US military has been flying more reconnaissance flights near Venezuela over the past few days to collect intelligence that could come handy in case of a military action against the government of President Nicolas Maduro, two American military officials say.

The unnamed officials told CNN on Monday that the US spy aircraft stayed in international airspace as they flew off the coast of the South American country.

They did not detail which specialized US military reconnaissance aircraft were being used for the mission. Both the US Navy and Air Force maintain several large fixed-wing aircraft that can snoop communications from a distance while keeping an eye on military movements.

Unconfirmed social media reports identified one of the aircraft as a USAF Boeing RC-135V. The plane flew off Venezuelan cost for six hours to reportedly gather information on the country's slew of advanced air defense systems, including the Russian-made S-300.

President Donald Trump and other US officials have been increasingly threatening Caracas with military action in case Maduro refuses to give up power to opposition leader, Juan Guaido.

Washington rushed to back Guaido in early January when he declared himself “interim president” of Venezuela. The US also introduced new sanctions against Maduro’s government and the Venezuelan oil industry.

While some Pentagon officials insist that the Trump administration is not actively considering military options for the crisis, countries like Russia and Cuba have recorded of growing US military activity near Venezuela’s borders.

Guaido has welcomed US threats of potential military intervention in his country, openly asking Washington and its allies to send in “humanitarian aid” for thousands of people he claims are in dire need of basic commodities.

Russia warned Friday that the White House was using the humanitarian aid scenario as a cover to arm the country's opposition while moving its own forces closer to Venezuelan borders in preparation for a military invasion.

PressTV-'Dangerous provocation': US arms Venezuela putschists

Russia warns the US against using "humanitarian aid" as a cover for arming Venezuela's opposition and launching military invasion against the country.

Maduro has said that Trump wants to facilitate regime change in Venezuela under the cover of manufacturing a humanitarian crisis there.

On Thursday, he ordered shut Venezuela's border with Brazil and threatened to close the border with Colombia as well.

Violence broke out in Venezuela’s border over the weekend, after the Venezuelan military blocked US aid convoys.

The Trump administration has asked the United Nations Security Council to discuss the situation in Venezuela on Tuesday.

UN Secretary General António Guterres has called for the end of violence in the Latin American country conflict.

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