Two US Air Force B-52H Stratofortress bombers flew along the coast of Venezuela on Sunday, accompanied by a KC-46 refuelling tanker, in the latest show of force by Washington against Caracas.

The flight, which originated from Minot Air Force Base, came as the United States carried out its fifth strike on a suspected drug-trafficking vessel off the Venezuelan coast. The campaign against alleged narco-trafficking boats began in late August.

Venezuela’s armed forces claimed they shot down a US drone during the operation. The United States denied the claim. The competing accounts could not be independently verified.

Tensions between Washington and Caracas have risen sharply in recent weeks. The US has accused Venezuelan networks of trafficking drugs into the United States, while Caracas describes the strikes as aggression against its sovereignty.

The bomber flight follows a pattern of increased US military activity in the Caribbean. Analysts say the operations signal a harder line from Washington, though neither side has indicated it wants a wider confrontation.