The United States Department of Defense reported on Thursday that two military aircraft from the Nicolás Maduro regime from Venezuela flew near a ship from the American Navy that is in international waters in the Caribbean.
The action was classified as a “highly provocative maneuver” and received a direct warning from Washington.
“Today, two military aircraft from the Maduro regime flew near a US Navy ship in international waters. This highly provocative movement was designed to interfere with our operations against narcoterrorism,” said the official statement released by the Pentagon on social networks.
The note adds that “the Cartel that controls Venezuela is strongly warned not to proceed with any effort to obstruct, dissuade or interfere with anti -drug and anti -terrorist operations performed by the US military.” The text did not specify the type of aircraft involved or identified the American ship, but sources heard by the American station CBS News Upon anonymity condition said it was two F-16 Venezuelan fighters that flying over the surroundings of the USS Jason Dunham destroyer, a recently displaced guided missile ship to the region.
The incident occurs amid a climb of tensions between Caracas and Washington. In recent weeks, the US has sent more than 4,000 Marines and Marines to Latin America and the Caribbean near Venezuela in an expanded operation against drug cartels, classified by President Donald Trump’s government as international terrorist organizations. The Pentagon states that the mission of the naval forces is to intercept illicit loads and weaken criminal networks that use Venezuela as a route.
Maduro began to treat US presence in the Caribbean as a military threat and, in response, launched a wide campaign to recruit civilians for his so -called Bolivarian militia, as well as ordering troops to remain ready for any confrontation.
