Two U.S. fighter jets flew over the Gulf of Venezuela on Tuesday, in what appeared to be an escalation of the Trump administration's pressure campaign against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, The Guardian reported.

FlightRadar24 showed a pair of F/A-18 Super Hornets flying together for about 40 minutes just north of Maracaibo, Venezuela's most populous city.

In addition, a pair of Navy EA-18G Growler electronic warfare jets also flew just north of the Gulf of Venezuela on Tuesday, according to The War Zone.

Venezuela claims the gulf as part of its national territory, although the United States has historically challenged Caracas' definitions of its boundaries.

But the Pentagon played down the flights over the gulf in a statement to The Guardian.

"The Department conducts routine, lawful operations in international airspace, including over the Gulf of Venezuela," a Pentagon official wrote. "We will continue to fly safely, professionally, and in accordance with international law to protect the homeland, monitor illicit activity, and support stability across the Americas."

In recent weeks, the U.S. military has dispatched B-1 Lancer bombers and B-52 Stratofortress bombers in the area, having the planes fly along the coast of Venezuela, The Hill reported.

This comes as the U.S. has sent a massive military armada to the area — including fighter jets, spy planes, Marines, warships, and other military assets. At the same time, the U.S. has attacked alleged drug trafficking boats in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific.

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