Weekly insights and analysis on the latest developments in military technology, strategy, and foreign policy.
With the current growing tensions between Venezuela and the United States, it’s worth recalling a little-known aerial mission that the U.S. military launched to interdict narcotics coming out of Central and South America back in the 1990s. Most notably, the announcement earlier this week that 10 F-35s will deploy to Puerto Rico startled some, but it is actually far from unprecedented. In fact, something similar was happening for years, decades ago. This was Coronet Nighthawk, which employed U.S. Air Force fighters to patrol against suspected drug traffickers.
Starting with the current situation, the deployment of F-35s has been taken by some as evidence that the United States is planning to go to war directly with Venezuela. However, as we have previously pointed out, these stealth jets could also be used for a range of other relevant tasks. In particular, their advanced sensors make them ideal intelligence-gathering platforms. You can read more about that here.
Four F-16s taxi to the parking apron upon their arrival at Howard Air Force Base, Panama, for Exercise Kindle Liberty in 1983. This was some years prior to the start of Coronet Nighthawk at the same location. U.S. Department of Defense SSGT R. BANDY
We are still waiting to hear more about the F-35 deployment. Currently, it remains unclear where they will come from, when they arrive, and what they will do once they get there.
However, the deployment does have some parallels with Coronet Nighthawk, a counterdrug operation that began in the early 1990s and employed fighter aircraft to patrol the skies of Central America and the Caribbean and detect suspected drug-running aircraft. This was at a time of huge concern around drug trafficking and smuggling into the United States, which had begun to peak during the era of the Reagan administration in the mid-1980s.
The main facility for Coronet Nighthawk was Howard Air Force Base in Panama, although assets would eventually also be rotated into other airfields in the Caribbean and Central America.
A Delaware Air National Guard C-130 and two North Dakota Air National Guard F-16 escorts over the Panama Canal in 1999. In the lower right foreground are several small vessels at anchor, and in the background is the Bridge of the Americas, which spans the Panama Canal. U.S. Department of Defense SSGT Gary Cappage
This mission was initially undertaken by Air Combat Command before transitioning from the active-duty component to the Air National Guard. Fighters were on 24/7 alert to intercept possible drug-trafficking aircraft and to provide overwatch to dissuade such flights. On receiving coordinates of a suspect flight, fighters were expected to scramble within 15 minutes and would then go and investigate them.
F-15s and F-16s were involved, with an example of the former pictured at the top of this story. Dated 1993, the original caption describes it as an F-15 sent to identify an aircraft that was possibly hauling drugs as detected by the Southern Regional Operations Center.
A Washington Post article from 2000, detailing the 113th Wing’s activities in Curaçaoprovides an idea of how the mission worked:
“The fast, agile F-16s would quickly intercept the suspect planes in international airspace as they flew over open water. The aircraft would be identified and tracked along their route and then followed again after making suspected deliveries. Information on the planes’ actions and location would be passed on to law enforcement agencies and local civil authorities for possible arrests and seizures.”
Another view of an F-16 deployed to Howard Air Force Base during Exercise Kindle Liberty in 1983. U.S. Department of Defense SSGT R. BANDY
It appears the U.S. Air Force fighters flew their missions unarmed, serving as the ‘eyes in the sky’ to locate suspect aircraft as well as to dissuade them from being in the airspace in the first instance.
However, intercepting ‘slow-movers’ was and remains a challenge for a jet fighter.
“The drug runners aren’t running at high noon,” Col. Mike Redman, the 113th Wing vice commander, told the Washington Post. “They’re doing it very early in the morning, and they’re flying low over the water.” Typically, the drug-runners would try and fly at low speed, just below the clouds.
The Coronet Nighthawk mission was wound up in 2001, due to the implementation of the Panama Canal Treaty, which handed the canal back to the Panamanian government at the end of December 1999, together with U.S. military bases in the country. (In 2002, the Coronet Nighthawk name would be resurrected for the deployment to Europe of Air Force F-117 stealth fighters).
U.S. troops stand by as the Southern Command’s headquarters staff, including its new head Gen. Charles Wilhelm (right), prepare to board a C-9B Skytrain II at Howard Air Force Base in Panama, bound for Miami, Florida, in September 1999. This was part of the transfer of the base to Panama, under the implementation of the Panama Canal Treaty, which called for the termination of all U.S. military presence in Panama by the end of December 1999. AFP PHOTO/Eliana APONTE ELIANA APONTE
Clearly, however, the mission had been successful in terms of its original remit.
As of the early 1990s, 75 percent of the drugs in the region were assessed to be transported by air, according to an official history from the 142nd Wing, one of the units that provided fighter jets. By the time the mission ended, the percentage of drugs transported in the region by air had been reduced to 25 percent, as the drug traffickers changed their approach accordingly.
According to one publicly available account, between September 1994 and the end of the decade, Coronet Nighthawk fighters were credited with ensuring the disruption or seizure of over 33,000 metric tons of cocaine.
“We didn’t go over there expecting to completely stop the flow of cocaine coming into the country,” Maj. Conal J. Brady III, a 199th Fighter Squadron F-15 pilot, said in one contemporary account. “But we did make a dent in it and made it a lot harder for the drug runners.”
As far as the 142nd Wing and its F-15s were concerned, they made six deployments to Panama for Coronet Nighthawk, first in 1992, twice in 1993, again in 1994, over the New Year 1995–96, and lastly in 1999. A typical deployment involved five F-15s and around 50 airmen, with personnel rotating every two weeks.
Pictured here in a post-flight debrief after a mission over the Pacific Ocean are, from left to right, Maj. Jeffrey M. Silver, Staff Sgt. Tracy Everett, and 1st Lt. Duke A. Pirak, during the last Coronet Nighthawk deployment to Panama for the 142nd Fighter Wing, and also the last F-15 deployment for this mission. U.S. Air National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Elena O’Bryan, from 142nd Wing History Archive
Once the U.S. military vacated Panama, the mission was moved to Curaçao and Aruba near the Netherlands Antilles, in the Caribbean. In one of the last Coronet Nighthawk deployments, in 2000, the D.C. Air National Guard’s 113th Wing sent six F-16s and 270 airmen to Curaçao to conduct anti-drugs missions from this Dutch protectorate, which sits just a few dozen miles off the coast of Venezuela.
For the crews involved, this also appears to have been a notably popular mission assignment.
“It’s a real-world mission, but at least the weather’s nice and you’re working under the palm trees near white sand beaches,” Redman explained to the Washington Post.
It should be recalled that, during the same timeframe, an overseas F-16 assignment might otherwise take airmen to a desert base in the Middle East, to fly long-duration ‘no-fly’ zone missions over Iraq.
The current F-35 deployment is a fairly clear indication that the situation in the region is currently heating up.
Back in the 1990s, most of the narcotics traffic was underway in the air. The pulse-Doppler lookdown radars on the F-15s and F-16s were key to finding aerial targets, which were mainly active at night.
Now, most of the drugs in the region are moved on the surface of the water. Modern fighters have even more powerful radars paired with electro-optical systems that can detect and investigate targets on the surface and do so very quickly. With the U.S. military now also engaging suspected drug traffickers at sea, fighters would also be able to attack those targets themselves. The air threat from Venezuela is also not nonexistent. While the token fleet of aging F-16s is not a huge concern, Venezuela does have 21 more potent Su-30MK2V Flanker multirole fighters.
For the time being, at least, it seems that the favored option for counter-narcotics missions involves the MQ-9 Reaper drone, at least two of which have recently been noted in Puerto Rico. Although these are among a number of different aircraft now involved, MQ-9s can carry a variety of missiles as well as sensors for surveillance and can loiter for more than 24 hours over a target, making them an ideal platform for these missions. What they cannot do is respond anywhere near as rapidly as a fighter.
📸 Reuters published a photo of a U.S. MQ-9 Reaper drone with Hellfire missiles and an ELINT system at Rafael Hernández Airport, Puerto Rico.
The drone was likely involved in the September 3 strike on the “Tren de Aragua” gang’s boat near Venezuela. pic.twitter.com/WTPzBZisyu
Meanwhile, although Coronet Nighthawk was just one of many military efforts by the U.S. government to try to stop the flow of drugs into the country from Central and South America, it appears to have been one of the more successful ones.
Nestled in the southwest of Wales is a true hidden gem of a beach with beautiful and picturesque views – and it was once home to criminal smugglers hiding their loot in the caves
Nestled in the south west is this picturesque beach with beautiful views(Image: Google maps)
This idyllic beach in New Quay, Wales, is the perfect scenic beach stop – but it was once home to criminals taking advantage of the picturesque location.
Cwmtydu Beach, also known as “Seals Bay,” is a small cove in the southwest, surrounded by cliffs and caves. It’s known for its views There are small caves cut into the cliffs, where French brandy and precious salt were hidden until they could safely be taken inland on horseback after being smuggled in.
The cliffs are also topped by a National Trust trail which is a great place for a walk taking in the views across Cardigan Bay, and the beach is dog friendly all year round. The beach is made up of soft pebbles and you will also find a great collection of rock pools. Fishing is also a popular activity with species such as flounder, plaice, dogfish, bass and gurnard in the waters.
The remote beach was once used to smuggle goods from France(Image: Google maps)
The nickname Seals Bay comes from the resident seals that live in the waters, with a population of around 5,000 in the west part of Wales. You may also spot a bottlenose dolphin if you are lucky, that are sometimes found in the waters of Cardigan Bay.
There is also an old lime kiln on the beach that has been restored, and was originally used to burn limestone, brought by boat from Pembrokeshire and Cornwall, for use by farmers as fertiliser for crops grown in the area.
North of Cwmtydu also lies Castell Bach with the remains of a third century BC iron age fort. A spokesperson for Visit Ceredigion said: “Cwmtydu is a small cove that was once a harbour used as a traditional smugglers’ hideaway.
“Surrounded by cliffs and caves that were once used to hide French brandy and precious salt until they could safely be taken inland on horseback. The caves and rocks are known locally for being a favourite haunt of seals.”
Wales is home to a number of hidden gem beaches, including this sandy paradise that’s hailed as “one of Ceredigion’s best-kept secrets.” Penbryn Beach stretches for a mile through a picturesque cove, accessible via woodland paths through a fern-covered valley under National Trust stewardship, reports Wales Online.
This pristine coastline sits nestled between dune systems and dramatic clifftops, positioned between the more celebrated destinations of Llangrannog and Tresaith. Whilst it may lack the recognition of busier beaches, Penbryn has previously earned acclaim as amongst Britain’s finest.
The Telegraph featured this stunning location in their compilation of the nation’s 20 ‘greatest beaches’, with charming Penbryn securing a coveted spot.
United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said that military attacks on alleged drug traffickers will “happen again”, brushing aside concerns over the legality of such attacks and the sovereignty of Latin American nations.
Speaking during a news conference in Mexico City on Wednesday, Rubio pledged continued security coordination with countries like Mexico, but suggested the US would not hesitate to take extreme measures on its own.
His remarks, in part, were a response to President Donald Trump’s announcement that the US had blown up a vessel in the Caribbean Sea a day earlier.
Trump and Rubio identified the small boat as a drug-smuggling vessel coming from Venezuela, though no details were provided. All 11 people on board reportedly died.
Rubio framed the air strike as part of a shifting strategy in the US’s ongoing “war on drugs”.
“The United States has long — for many, many years — established intelligence that allowed us to interdict and stop drug boats. And we did that. And it doesn’t work. Interdiction doesn’t work,” Rubio said.
“What will stop them is when you blow them up, when you get rid of them.”
Rubio then explained that the attack was authorised personally by Trump. It had been in the south Caribbean Sea at the time of the attack, and Rubio said it was headed for the US.
“Instead of interdicting it, on the president’s orders, we blew it up. And it will happen again,” Rubio said. “Maybe it’s happening right now. I don’t know.”
Rubio’s visit to Mexico City comes as the Trump administration seeks close cooperation with Mexico, but its aggressive foreign policy has spurred concerns abroad.
Latin American nations have struggled to balance the need for working relations with the US and Trump’s increasingly brazen threats.
Experts say that attacks like Tuesday’s boat bombing are likely illegal under international law, which limits military actions on vessels sailing through international waters.
Still, Rubio defended the action as necessary for protecting the wellbeing of the US.
“If you’re on a boat full of cocaine or fentanyl, whatever, headed to the United States, you’re an immediate threat to the United States,” said Rubio.
US military strikes against armed groups around the world have often depended on the idea that such groups, often tied to armed or fighting groups that represent an immediate risk to US national security. That argument has not previously been used as a pretext for military strikes on drug trafficking, deemed a criminal issue.
But Trump’s second inauguration has marked a shift in that approach.
Since taking office in January, Trump has pushed for emergency powers on the premise that Latin American gangs and other criminal groups constitute an “invasion” on US soil.
He has also designated many such groups as “foreign terrorist organisations”.
In August, reports emerged that Trump had signed an order authorising military strikes against cartels and other drug-smuggling operations, fuelling fears that the US would carry out military strikes in Latin America despite concerns about sovereignty.
Such concerns have been particularly prominent in Mexico, the US’s immediate neighbour to the south.
To mark Rubio’s visit, Mexico and the US issued a joint statement emphasising “respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity”.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has also repeatedly sought to dispel worries that the Trump administration may take unilateral action on Mexican soil. Trump, meanwhile, has not ruled out such a possibility.
Al Jazeera correspondent John Holman explained that Rubio’s visit was aimed at “smoothing the feathers” and lowering tensions in Mexico.
“There was a lot of fulsome praise. But the elephant in the room here really is that President Trump has been saying repeatedly that, if Mexico wants it, then the US is very happy to send its military down into the country to fight drug cartels,” Holman explained.
“That really wasn’t touched on in this meeting apart from the Mexican foreign minister repeatedly saying that, ‘Yes, we’re going to work with the United States’ — in a very diplomatic way, saying everyone in their own jurisdiction.”
Nevertheless, Rubio and other US officials have emphasised that the US would continue to collaborate on security and drug enforcement with Mexico, which the US has pushed to take a more aggressive stance.
“We’ve got assets in the air, assets in the water, assets on ships, because this is a deadly serious mission for us, and it won’t stop with just this strike,” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on the TV show Fox and Friends.
Not all countries in the region are apprehensive as the US takes on an increasingly militarised approach to criminal groups.
“I, along with most of the country, am happy that the US naval deployment is having success in their mission,” Trinidad and Tobago’s Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar said in a statement on Tuesday.
“The pain and suffering the cartels have inflicted on our nation is immense. I have no sympathy for traffickers; the US military should kill them all violently.”
Celebrity SAS fans have been left reeling over one ‘celebrity’ as they claim the choice to have a convicted drug smuggler as a contestant on the show is ‘disgusting’
Michaella McCollum is one of the celebrities on this year’s Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins(Image: PA)
Michaella first made headlines as one half of the so-called Peru Two after she and Melissa Reid were arrested at Jorge Chavez International Airport in Lima, Peru, on 6 August 2013.
Fans have been left reeling over one ‘celebrity’ as they claim the choice to have Michaella McCollum as a contestant on the show is ‘disgusting’(Image: Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock)
Last week, Michaella appeared on ITV’s This Morning and was met with criticism. Fans of the show took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to share their thoughts on the celebrity lineup. One person wrote: “The bookers for @thismorning #thismorning and #CelebritySAS should hang their heads in shame for booking a drugs mule. How on earth does that give them celebrity status!! And what message does it send to young people? Shocking.”
Another person penned: “Hey, @Channel4, how come this criminal is being allowed to profit from her drugs mule crime on the ‘celebrity’ edition of SAS Who Dares Wins?” While a third added: “#thismorning I don’t consider a convicted drug smuggler to be a celebrity, which is a fair enough reason for Michaella McCollum not to be a contestant on #CelebritySAS”.
Michaella first made headlines as one half of the so-called Peru Two(Image: PA)
Another unhappy fan wrote: “I’ve never missed a series, but I’m sitting this one out. Having a convicted drug smuggler classed as a celebrity is disgusting and sends the wrong message to young kids, plus it’s insulting to the others taking part.”
Ahead of appearing on the show, Michaella opened up on how she has changed and grown as a person. She said that signing up for the show was able to help her take back control of her life.
She told the Mirror: “I feel like in my younger days, I made lots of mistakes, so then I was really cautious of doing things, because I didn’t want to mess up again. I didn’t want to mess up, I didn’t want to make any more mistakes.
Ahead of appearing on the show, Michaella opened up on how she has changed and grown as a person(Image: Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock)
“But we can’t live life like that, because we’re always going to make mistakes, we’re always going to make bad choices, obviously not as bad a choice as I made previously, but it’s okay to make a mistake.
“I had got to the point where I was just refusing to do a lot of things because I was scared. What if I mess it up? What if I take this job and it doesn’t work out? What if I move to this place and it doesn’t work out? I was just a little bit afraid of making those decisions. I felt stuck. So I guess that was the main thing for me, to try and learn to overcome that.
“I was at the point in my life where I was just stuck in my comfort zone, and I thought this is a good way to break those barriers and do the things that scare me, and maybe that will help me in the future with decisions and just different things in life.”
PEOPLE smugglers who advertise Channel Crossings or try to flog fake passports online face up to five years in prison, under a new crackdown.
The Home Office is scrambling to beef up their laws after a record 25,000 illegal migrants landed on Britain’s beaches so far this year.
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Yvette Cooper said: ‘We have to stay one step ahead of the ever-evolving tactics of people-smuggling gangs’Credit: PA
The grim milestone piles massive pressure on Home Secretary Yvette Cooper – who has vowed to “smash the gangs” and stop the boats.
But the Government has been accused of woefully failing to restore control to UK borders.
Ministers will introduce a new criminal offence under the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill already going through Parliament.
This will make it a crime to publish material which promotes breaking immigration laws – like flogging small boat crossings, dodgy passports and visas or promising black market work.
These things are already illegal, but ministers say the new law will help beef up the power of the cops and prosecutors.
Anyone caught flouting the law faces five years behind bars or a massive fine.
Ms Cooper said: “Selling the false promise of a safe journey to the UK and a life in this country – whether on or offline – simply to make money, is nothing short of immoral.
“These criminals have no issue with leading migrants to life-threatening situations using brazen tactics on social media. We are determined to do everything we can to stop them – wherever they operate.
“We have to stay one step ahead of the ever-evolving tactics of people-smuggling gangs.”
A staggering 80 per cent of migrants arriving on small boats used social media sites like TikTok to plan their journey, according to the Home Office.
Small boat migrant found dead riddled with bullets on French coast after being gunned down ‘by people smugglers’
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People smugglers who advertise Channel Crossings or try to flog fake passports online face up to five years in prisonCredit: PA
Secret awesome UK beach with vast expanse of white sand is a great escape from the crowds – and it’s so tucked away from sight that it was a smuggler’s favourite in times gone by
07:00, 21 Jul 2025Updated 07:39, 21 Jul 2025
The secret bay is nestled in the Gower Peninsula – this aerial view is looking over Oxwich Green, Slade Village, Oxwich Castle and Oxwich Bay in Swansea (Image: Getty Images)
An unspoilt beach is a retreat away from crowds of holidaymakers, which is what many are hoping to find as the summer holidays begin. The sandy bay is so tucked away out of sight that smugglers would bring in their wares to this part of the coastline many years ago.
The beach also has two names it goes by, it’s located on the Gower Peninsula in South West Wales – and you need to take a pleasant long walk to reach it. Slade Bay, also known as The Sands due to the vast white sand beach at low tide, is like a special paradise – and it doesn’t get crowded.
Visitors describe it as a ‘beautiful bay, so unspoilt’, it’s also dog-friendly and you can even go surfing there. The Beach Guide website also described it as a good spot for fishing – and of course amazing sunsets due to its south west setting.
Hotel Parc Le Breos describes the hike to the gorgeous beach on their website: “A very picturesque walk around Oxwich Point all the way to Slade Bay. Varied scenery and fantastic views up and down the Gower Peninsula.”
You’ll cover a distance of about four miles to get to Slade Bay – and it’ll take an average time of two hours, however it will be worth the walk. The terrain is said to be ‘easy underfoot but some steep climbs including a big flight of steps’ according to advice from the hotel Parc Le Breos website.
The Gower Peninsula in Swansea, Wales is an area designated as the first Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in the United Kingdom(Image: Getty Images)
The Parc Le Breos website explained where to park, before taking up the hike: “Head down to Parkmill then turn tight onto the south Gower road (A4418) turning off at the signposted junction for Oxwich. Park in the large supervised beach car park.”
Then you head towards the Oxwich Bay Hotel, before walking towards the church ‘nestled in the woods’ – this is the start of the trek to the beach. From there it’s a climb up lots of steps, then it’s a left – follow a path alongside fields then follow the path down a cliff top, which takes you along the cliff’s edge.
After a while you’ll see Slade Bay and you need to follow an uphill path up to the valley before you come to a track and then a lane, which you’ll need to turn right on and follow for one mile. You’ll then descend to Oxwich village and you should see the Oxwich castle on the right – from here you’ll find a narrow path towards the beach.
The Beach Guide also explained the location: “Slade beach, or The Sands as it is also known, sits just beyond the end of Port Eynon beach. In fact on a super low tide you can actually get here with dry feet from the Horton end of Port Eynon.
“As the name suggests there is a good sized stretch of sand here, although this depends to a large extent on the state of the tide. To each side of the beach are extensive flat rocks that are home to numerous rock pools, whilst to the rear are low cliffs.
They added that ‘access to the beach isn’t terribly straightforward’ as there is ‘no obvious route down from the coast path’ between the more well-known Horton and Oxwich Bay. However, this is why the beach is usually uncrowded, hence making it ‘a favourite with smugglers in years gone by’.
PEOPLE smugglers are using women and children as human shields in a diversion tactic to get past French police – before mostly men make it onto a dinghy.
Families with young babies and kids were put at the front of the queue of migrants entering the vast beach from the sand dunes in Gravelines, near Calais, yesterday with young men trailing behind.
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People-smugglers are using women and children as a diversion tactic to get young male migrants past French policeCredit: Getty
The diversionary tactics meant the 40 police officers, armed and waiting with pepper spray and tear gas, remained calm and did not use force against the group straight away to avoid injuring the children.
Instead, officers kettled the group and successfully marched them off back into the sand dunes.
But, when the time was right and the police thought they had taken the group off the beach, a group of mostly men suddenly sprinted off into the sand dunes before making a break for it back onto the beach.
Most of the migrants with children did not return to the beach.
It comes after senior Labour minister Darren Jones was slammed after suggesting on BBC’s Question Time that the majority of migrants entering by small boats that he had seen were women and children.
A dramatic cat and mouse game followed yesterday with tear gas being fired over Gravelines beach in an attempt to keep migrants away from the sea.
But they failed to stop a nearby dinghy from picking up the migrants and it left for British shores with mostly men on board.
It comes after official figures showed that more than 919 people crossed the Channel in small boats on Friday on 14 dinghies – averaging around 66 people per boat.
It has taken the provisional annual total to 16,183, which is 42 per cent higher than the same point last year and 79 per cent up on the same date in 2023.
The highest daily number so far this year was 1,195 on May 31.
