WEAPONS made in Britain were used in the US attack on Venezuela that led to the abduction of President Nicholas Maduro, campaigners have revealed. 

Research by the Campaign Against Arms Trade (Caat) found that the F-35 fighter jet, a critical component of the military equipment used by Israel to perpetrate genocide in Gaza, was also employed in last week’s attack.

About 15 per cent by value of every new F-35 aircraft is made in Britain.

Along with the F-22 Raptor, F-35 Lightning II fighter jets reportedly played a central role in the attack and abduction of Mr Maduro, including both F-35A and F-35B variations. 

Reports on the US attack in Venezuela stated: “The F-35 Lightning II complemented this role by conducting precision strikes, electronic warfare tasks and intelligence gathering.”

Despite reaching the legal threshold requiring the government to suspend the transfer of F-35 parts to Israel, ministers claim that it is not possible to stop British components for the jet from going to Israel via other partner countries without disrupting the entire global supply chain for the F-35. 

It asserts that withholding these spare parts would cause disruption that would have a “profound impact on international peace and security.”

However, Caat said: “It is clear that the US interpretation of ‘international peace and security,’ as referenced by the UK government, is characterised by an annihilation of international law and rules-based order and total disregard for the right of peoples to self-determination.

“American and British foreign policy, alongside British and American arms industries, are closely aligned. 

“[Prime Minister Keir] Starmer has failed to condemn the attack or even identify that the US has breached international law. 

“Furthermore, the UK has long supported US efforts to destabilise and control Venezuela.”

Caat has called on the British government to leave the F-35 programme, including by immediately halving the export of parts to the US and Israel, and to condemn the US attack and Washington’s “continuing attempt to coerce Venezuela through military threats with the goal of gaining control of its oil reserves.”

The group has also demanded an open investigation into Britain’s complicity in breaches of international law as an F-35 programme partner.