WASHINGTON, 24 October (H.S.): A United States B-1B bomber flew over the Caribbean Sea off the coast of Venezuela on Thursday, marking the second such military show of force in a week, even as President Donald Trump publicly denied the mission took place.

The flight adds to soaring regional tensions as Washington conducts a deadly anti-narcotics campaign that has stoked fears in Caracas of a prelude to U.S. military intervention.

Flight tracking data showed the long-range bomber flying from Dyess Air Force Base in Texas towards the Venezuelan coast before turning north. However, when asked about the bomber’s mission during a White House event, President Trump flatly rejected the reports as false.

Despite the presidential denial, multiple U.S. officials confirmed the flight to news outlets.The operation comes just a week after U.S. B-52 bombers conducted a similar mission in the same area.

The U.S. military has described these flights as demonstrations of its commitment to proactively deter adversary threats. They are part of a broader counter-narcotics operation in the Caribbean that has involved stealth jets and Navy ships and has resulted in at least 37 deaths from strikes on alleged smuggling vessels since September 2.

The military campaign has been met with fierce condemnation from Venezuela, which accuses the United States of plotting to overthrow President Nicolas Maduro . The heightened tensions have put the region on edge, with the latest bomber flight and Trump’s subsequent denial only adding to the uncertainty.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar