A U.S. naval ship was approached by two Venezuelan military aircraft during counter-drug operations on Thursday, as reported by the Department of Defense.
This event is being labeled as “very provocative” by the Pentagon, particularly following a U.S. operation earlier that took out a Tren de Aragua drug smuggling vessel, resulting in the deaths of 11 individuals linked to drug trafficking.
“Two army aircraft from Maduro’s regime flew close to U.S. naval vessels in international waters today,” the Pentagon disclosed in a statement. “This provocative action aims to interfere with counter-narcotics efforts.”
They further urged that the cartels in Venezuela should refrain from any actions that may disrupt U.S. military anti-drug operations.
The aircraft involved are reported to be armed F-16 fighter jets. According to reports, the USS Jason Dunham, an Aegis-guided missile destroyer, was the targeted vessel.
The Department of Defense has yet to respond to requests for comments regarding the incident.
Last month, the Navy dispatched at least eight ships to the Caribbean, including three guided missile destroyers, aimed at combating drug smuggling activities.
Earlier this year, the previous administration formally designated the Tren de Aragua and Cartel de los Soles as foreign terrorist organizations.
The Trump administration has previously accused Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro of collaborating with drug cartels to facilitate the distribution of fentanyl in the United States. Recently, the Justice Department announced a $50 million bounty on Maduro for his role with these criminal organizations.
Maduro has characterized the presence of Caribbean naval forces as “the largest threat we’ve encountered on the continent in the last century,” while asserting that the U.S. is attempting to orchestrate a government change in Venezuela.
