The United States military carried out a rapid response exercise at its embassy in Caracas, Venezuela, on Saturday, deploying two MV-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft that landed in the embassy's parking lot as Marines descended from the craft. The drill, announced in advance by Venezuela's government, was framed as preparation for potential medical or catastrophic emergencies, and was observed in person by Marine Gen. Francis Donovan, head of US Southern Command (the military command overseeing American operations in Latin America). The exercise comes roughly two months after the US formally reopened its Caracas embassy following the restoration of full diplomatic relations with Venezuela, which was established after the January ouster and arrest of former president Nicolás Maduro on drug trafficking charges.