Marines stage mock evacuation at Venezuela embassy

Four months after American special operations forces infiltrated Venezuelan airspace to raid its capital city, U.S. troops were once again flying over Caracas. This time, as part of an elaborate training exercise around the U.S. embassy.

Two Marine Corps MV-22 Ospreys flew over the capital of Venezuela on Saturday and landed outside the U.S. embassy as part of a “rapid response” drill, the U.S. embassy for Venezuela said in a social media post. 

“A US military response exercise is currently underway at the Embassy of the United States in Caracas,” the embassy wrote in its Instagram post. “Ensuring the Army’s rapid response capability is a key component of mission readiness, both here in Venezuela and around the world.”

In the video, the two Ospreys can be seen landing in the embassy parking lot, maneuvering to a landing spot surrounded by trees, before Marines exited the two aircraft. Photos from Agence France Presse of the drill show the Ospreys flying low over the city during the day, with dozens of city residents watching the aircraft pass overhead.  

Notably, the exercise was also attended by Marine Corps Gen. Francis Donovan, the commander of U.S. Southern Command, who arrived via Osprey. He, as well as embassy’s Chargé d’Affaires John Barrett, took part in the evacuation drill. 

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Source: Task & Purpose
Website: taskandpurpose.com