Venezuelan Tank Landing Ship Runs Aground, Takes on Water
Bystander photos on Venezuelan social media suggest that one of the country's few naval vessels has gone aground, and it appears to be taking on water.
The vessel in question is the tank landing ship ARV Capana, identified visually by its pennant number (T-61). It appears to be grounded near Cumarebo, about 175 miles to the northwest of Caracas. It appears to be settling lower in the water than its Plimsoll mark would recommend, based on photos from the scene.
El buque de transporte Capana ARV T-61 de la Armada Bolivariana encalló y comenzó a hundirse frente a las costas de Falcón tras participar en ejercicio de defensa ante posible invasión https://t.co/8iQtVDB9Cl pic.twitter.com/2bvXITDPz8
— Monitoreamos (@monitoreamos) October 16, 2025
Capana had been operating as part of an exercise to prepare to defend against an American invasion of Venezuela, according to the Venezuelan military's social media accounts. The Bolivarian Armed Forces have been conducting amphibious assault and mobilization drills since September, and Capana has been among the vessels involved (below).
WATCH ????
— Open Source Intel (@Osint613) September 17, 2025
Venezuela’s Bolivarian Navy launched military drills on La Orchila island in the Caribbean, reacting to US military presence in the region.
Capana-class LSTs were used to deploy Marine Corps personnel and equipment, including VN18 Light Tanks, VN1 APCs, trucks, and… pic.twitter.com/Va0uUkeVRj
It is not the first time that Venezuela's military has lost valuable and scarce vessel assets in routine operations. Previous peacetime casualties include the Venezuelan Coast Guard patrol boat Naiguata (GC-23), which collided with cruise ship RCGS Resolute in 2020 and went down; and Warao (PC-22), which grounded off Brazil in 2012.
The Venezuelan military is attempting to prepare for a serious confrontation. The Trump administration has assembled a sizeable task force of U.S. Navy warships, Air Force fighters, U.S. special forces units and U.S. Marines in the Caribbean, all aimed at applying pressure to the regime of Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro. President Trump has also openly confirmed that he has authorized secret CIA missions inside of Venezuela, and the Pentagon has green-lighted half a dozen lethal attacks on suspected drug-smuggling boats off Venezuela's coast.