According to internal U.S. government documents obtained by The Washington Post, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has reached out to Russia, China, and Iran seeking to bolster his country’s deteriorating military capabilities. The requests include defensive radar systems, aircraft repairs, and potentially missiles. The documents reveal that Caracas sent a letter to Moscow intended for Russian President Vladimir Putin, to be delivered during a visit to the Russian capital by a senior aide earlier this month. A similar letter was reportedly being prepared for Chinese President Xi Jinping, requesting “expanded military cooperation” between the two nations to counter what Maduro described as “escalation between the U.S. and Venezuela.” Additionally, Venezuelan Transport Minister Ramón Celestino Velásquez has coordinated a shipment of military equipment and drones from Iran while planning a visit to Tehran. In communications with an Iranian official, he reportedly said Venezuela required “passive detection equipment,” “GPS scramblers,” and “almost certainly drones with a 1,000 km [600 mile] range.” On Sunday, an Ilyushin Il-76—a Russian aircraft sanctioned by the U.S. in 2023 for its role in arms trafficking and transporting mercenaries—landed in Caracas after taking a circuitous route over Africa to avoid Western airspace, according to flight-tracking data from Flightradar24.