ALWAGHT- A US military refueling plane narrowly avoided a collision with a civilian passenger aircraft off Venezuela’s coast, raising safety concerns amid Washington’s increased military activity in the Caribbean.
A near-collision occurred on Sunday when JetBlue Flight 1112, en route from Curaçao to New York, encountered a US Air Force refueling aircraft at the same altitude. The JetBlue pilot reported that the military plane crossed directly into their flight path without a transponder, forcing the commercial flight to halt its climb. The airline later reported the incident, praising the crew for following proper safety procedures.
The US Southern Command confirmed awareness of the incident and stated it is reviewing military aircraft operations in the Caribbean. The near miss comes amid a significant increase in US military activity in the region, including deployments of aircraft carriers, F-35 squadrons, and roughly 15,000 personnel under the stated aim of counter-narcotics operations.
Since September, US forces have conducted lethal strikes on over 20 alleged drug trafficking vessels, resulting in at least 87 deaths. Venezuelan officials have condemned the operations as hostile actions intended to intimidate the region and undermine the country’s sovereignty, amid unproven US claims that President Nicolás Maduro leads a terrorist-linked cartel.
