A social media post from NetBlocks reported a loss of internet connectivity in Caracas during power cuts early Saturday while U.S. Cyber Command, U.S. Space Command and combatant commands began layering cyber effects to create a pathway for U.S. forces flying into Venezuela.
KEY FACTS
- Incident U.S. cyber effects were used to create a pathway for forces entering Venezuela early Saturday
- Connectivity a NetBlocks post reported a loss of internet connectivity in Caracas during power cuts
- PDVSA accusation last month PDVSA accused the U.S. government of a cyberattack that delayed operations
- Damage PDVSA said its facilities were not damaged in the Saturday attack
Gen. Dan Caine, chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, at a press conference said U.S. Cyber Command, U.S. Space Command and combatant commands “began layering different effects” to “create a pathway” for U.S. forces flying into the country early Saturday. Caine did not elaborate on what those effects entailed.
Spokespeople for the White House, Cyber Command and Space Command did not respond to requests for comment on the cyber operations. Public details on the technical nature of the effects are not available.
The post from the internet tracking group showed the timing of a drop in service in Caracas during the power cuts. The post indicated the outage was localized rather than a nationwide collapse of connectivity.
A Reuters report linked to statements that PDVSA last month attributed delays in operations to a cyberattack. The company said its facilities were not damaged in the Saturday incident.
WHY IT MATTERS
Cyber operations that accompany force movements can affect civilian infrastructure and complicate attribution and escalation risks. The scope, specific technical actions and full attribution of Saturday’s cyber effects remain publicly unconfirmed.