Defence Express: US may gain access to Russian weapons in Venezuela

Following the operation to capture the Venezuelan president in the capital Caracas on the night of January 3, the US announced a plan for direct rule of the country until a safe transfer of power takes place, Defence Express writes.

A plan was also announced to restore control over the oil industry of the country, which has the largest proven oil reserves in the world.

The US is definitely no less interested in the disarmament of Venezuela, which has one of the most powerful armed forces in South America thanks to arms supplies from Russia.

In accordance with the Monroe Doctrine, if the US manages to bring a new government loyal to them to power in Venezuela, this will mean that American specialists will gain access to all the weapons of the Venezuelan armed forces, including those recently transferred to Russia.

What weapons may interest the US?

According to the publication, these are some samples, a detailed analysis of which will undoubtedly be very useful for the Pentagon.

The most interesting for the US may be the S-300VM air defense systems, which were delivered to Venezuela by the Russian Federation in 2013 in the amount of two divisions.

Also in October 2025, the Russian Federation transferred to the country with several Il-76TD, an unknown number of "Pantsir" air defense systems and "Buk-M2" air defense systems. The latter were also delivered to the country from 2009 to 2015.

Analysis of the Su-30MKV, which Caracas began receiving in 2006, shows that the country has 21 of these fighters in service, having lost three of them in recent years. This could make them even more valuable to the United States. At the same time, the "air-to-air" missiles The R-77, which are the most advanced Russian air combat missiles, may be of even greater value.

The 300-mm Smerch anti-aircraft missile system, which together with the S-300VM was transferred to Venezuela from the Russian Federation in 2009 in the amount of 12 units, may arouse some interest among American experts.

American experts may also be interested in the 300-mm Smerch anti-aircraft missile system, which together with the S-300VM was transferred from the Russian Federation to Venezuela in 2009 in the amount of 12 units. And although this is not a Russian weapon, the Iranian reconnaissance and strike UAV Mohajer-6 may also be of interest to the Americans, an unknown number of which Caracas received no later than 2020, as well as the Chinese amphibious infantry fighting vehicles VN-16 (Type 05, ZBD-05).

The United States will want to disarm Venezuela

But in addition to these weapons, which may be of interest to the Americans, the new Venezuelan government will have to solve the problem of replacing other Russian weapons with American ones. Because Washington will definitely be interested in disarming one of the most powerful armed forces in South America. As well as forcing Caracas to switch to American weapons.

And therefore, after a certain time, not only the aforementioned fighters, air defense systems and other weapons may be put up for sale or simply gradually rot somewhere in the Venezuelan jungle. Because the Venezuelan armed forces still have 92 T-72B, 123 BMP-3, 114 BTR-80A, 48 2S19 "Msta-S" self-propelled guns and 13 2S23 "Nona-SVK", 24 MLRS "Grad", as well as a dozen Mi-17 and Ka-29 and Ka-31 helicopters, which will not yet be operational without the participation of the Russian Federation.