Elite Helicopter Unit Involved In Mission To Kill Bin Laden Reportedly Conducts Flights Less Than 100 Miles From Venezuela

A Special Operations aviation unit has flown less than a 100 miles from Venezuela during the past days as the Trump administration ramps up pressure on the country's regime, according to a new report.

The Washington Post detailed that the helicopters conducted training exercises, which could lead to expanded operations against the Venezuelan regime, including inside the country. Visuals circulating on social media appear to show MH-6 Little Bird attack helicopters and MH-60 Black Hawks, the outlet added.

The aircraft are likely operated by the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, mark Cancian, a senior adviser with the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told the Post. They usually fly missions for commandos like Navy SEALs, Green Berets and Delta force.

A U.S. official said the helicopters were conducting training flights and should not be taken as evidence of drills for a land assault into Venezuela.

However, report comes a day after President Donald Trump confirmed he authorized the CIA to conduct lethal operations inside Venezuela, with officials telling The New York Times that the ultimate goal is removing authoritarian President Nicolas Maduro from power.

Moreover, the Miami Herald reported on Thursday that the Trump administration rejected an offer by the Venezuelan regime to oust Maduro and undergo a transition.

"The 'Cartel Lite' was not a viable option," a source told the Miami Herald, noting that top officials would remain in power after the ouster of Maduro.

Maduro himself approved two of the offers, made to the U.S. through Qatar. They were extended through Vice President Delcy Rodriguez and her brother Jorge, who leads the regime-friendly National Assembly, according to the outlet, which cited people with direct knowledge of the talks.

Concretely, the proposals would have Delcy Rodriguez be the continuity figure and retired general Miguel Rodriguez Torres, who is currently in exile, lead a transitional government.

The argument was that neither of the Rodriguez siblings have been indicted on drug-trafficking charges in the U.S. However, former regime officials claimed that they are implicated in logistical support and money laundering operations. These accounts have been used by U.S. prosecutors in cases linked to the Cartel de los Soles, which the U.S. accuses Maduro of leading.

The proposals were presented to the White House and the State Department by U.S. Special Envoy Richard Grenell, who has been calling for engagement with the regime to de-escalate tensions.

However, the outlet claimed that the Trump administration dismissed the offers, concluding they sought to preserve the regime's criminal structure by laundering its image.