US military drill misrepresented as Russian evacuation from Venezuela after Maduro capture
- Published on January 7, 2026 at 05:08
- 2 min read
- By AFP Indonesia
Following the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro by US forces in January 2026, a video of military aircraft flying in formation surfaced in social media posts falsely claiming it shows Russia evacuating its diplomats’ families from its South American ally. The footage in fact first circulated in October 2025 and corresponds to photos and videos of a US military drill in California marking the founding of the Marine Corps.
The video of military helicopters and jets flying in formation along a coastline was shared on TikTok on January 5, 2026.
"War is about to break out! Russia evacuates the families of its diplomats," says a person commenting on the clip, with text of their remarks also transcribed underneath the footage.
It surfaced after Maduro was seized by US forces on January 3, in a shock snatch-and-grab raid on Venezuela's capital Caracas to remove him from power and assert Washington's control over the oil-rich South American country (archived link).
Maduro led Venezuela with an iron fist for more than a decade through a series of elections widely thought to have been rigged. He came to power after the death of his charismatic mentor, former president Hugo Chávez.
The deposed leader and his wife have since pleaded not guilty to drug trafficking and other charges at a defiant appearance in a New York court on January 6 (archived link).
The same footage was also shared in similar TikTok posts following the US military operation.
But a reverse image search on Google using keyframes from the video shows it previously circulated months before Maduro's capture, on TikTok on October 19, 2025 (archived link).
"Happy No Kings Day," reads the TikTok video's caption, referring to protests that occurred across the United States against President Donald Trump's policies on October 18, 2025 (archived link).
Subsequent searches led to similar photos and videos in an Associated Press (AP) news report and an Instagram post from October 20, 2025 (archived here and here).
The AP report is about shrapnel hitting a California Highway Patrol vehicle during a military drill held in Camp Pendleton in the west coast state to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the founding of the US Marine Corps on October 18, 2025.
AFP published similar photos showing aircraft in a similar formation from the military demonstration, which was attended by US Vice President JD Vance.
The scene also corresponds with Google Earth satellite imagery of the area around Camp Pendleton in California, which is home to a Marine Corps base (archived link).
AFP has debunked other misinformation related to the US military operation in Venezuela.
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