Trump Issues Stark Warning: Venezuelan Jets Threatening US Ships Will Be Shot Down

President Donald Trump has issued a stark warning that Venezuelan military jets “will be shot down” if they endanger U.S. naval ships. The potent threat comes amid escalating tensions in the Caribbean, following two recent instances of Venezuelan aircraft flying near a U.S. vessel off South America.

Speaking from the Oval Office on Friday, President Trump emphasized that Venezuela would face severe consequences if its jets again posed a threat to American forces. “If Venezuelan jets fly over US naval ships and put us in a dangerous position, they’ll be shot down,” he stated, reportedly telling a general present that he could act as he deemed necessary should the situation escalate.

The current friction follows a recent U.S. strike on a “drug-carrying vessel from Venezuela,” which U.S. officials attributed to a gang, resulting in 11 fatalities. Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has vehemently denied the U.S. allegations, asserting that the differences between the two nations do not warrant a military conflict. “Venezuela has always been willing to talk, to engage in dialogue, but we demand respect,” Maduro commented.

Since his return to office in January, President Trump has significantly intensified anti-drug-trafficking operations across Latin America, citing a surge of drugs entering the U.S. from Venezuela and the presence of the notorious Tren de Aragua gang. In response, the U.S. military has bolstered its presence in the southern Caribbean, deploying additional naval vessels, thousands of marines, and sailors. The White House confirmed on Friday the dispatch of 10 F-35 fighter jets to Puerto Rico as part of this increased military posture.

President Trump has long been a vocal critic of President Maduro, doubling a reward for information leading to Maduro’s arrest to $50 million in August, accusing him of being a major narco-trafficker. Maduro, who was sworn in for his third term in January after a contested election, has consistently rejected these allegations, accusing the U.S. of seeking regime change through military intimidation.

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