US Navy Drug Search on Venezuelan Fishing Boat Ignites Diplomatic Row

Tensions between the United States and Venezuela have escalated following a recent incident where U.S. Navy personnel inspected a Venezuelan fishing vessel for drugs. The Venezuelan government has vehemently condemned the action, labeling it a “direct provocation” and an “illegal use of excessive military means” within its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

According to a U.S. official, Coast Guard personnel operating from the U.S. Navy destroyer USS Jason Dunham boarded and searched the Venezuelan fishing boat on Friday, September 12, acting on an intelligence tip regarding potential drug trafficking. No contraband was ultimately discovered. The official also disputed claims by Venezuela’s Foreign Ministry about the duration of the search and maintained the incident occurred in international waters.

Caracas, however, paints a different picture, claiming its vessel was occupied by eighteen heavily armed U.S. personnel on Friday. The Venezuelan Foreign Ministry issued a statement on Saturday, September 13, accusing the U.S. of a disproportionate military response that undermines regional stability.

This event comes amidst a heightened U.S. military presence in the Caribbean, part of President Trump’s recently announced “counter narco-terror operations.” Earlier this month, on September 2, President Trump confirmed a U.S. strike on an alleged drug boat, resulting in the deaths of 11 suspected “Tren de Aragua Narcoterrorists.” The USS Jason Dunham itself was involved in another incident earlier in September when the Pentagon reported two Venezuelan military aircraft flying provocatively near the destroyer in international waters, attempting to disrupt U.S. operations.

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