Venezuelan Jets Provoke US Navy in Caribbean Standoff
Venezuelan Jets Provoke US Navy in Caribbean Standoff
Tensions in the Caribbean flared this week after two armed Venezuelan F-16 fighter jets conducted a provocative flyover of the USS Jason Dunham, a U.S. Navy Aegis guided-missile destroyer. Defense Department officials described the incident as a clear “show of force” amidst ongoing U.S. counter-narcotics operations in the region.
The USS Jason Dunham is part of a U.S. naval flotilla recently deployed to target criminal organizations and narco-terrorism in the waters off Venezuela. Following initial reports, the Defense Department confirmed via a statement on X that Venezuelan aircraft “flew near a U.S. Navy vessel in international waters,” labeling the move as “highly provocative” and an attempt to interfere with crucial anti-narco-terror operations. The statement warned the Venezuelan government against further obstruction.
This latest incident escalates an already tense situation, with the U.S. administration intensifying its crackdown on drug cartels and offering a $50 million reward for the arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, whom it accuses of allying with cartels. Maduro has vehemently denied these allegations, calling the U.S. warships a “criminal and bloody threat” and deploying Venezuelan drones and warships to patrol the coastline. The confrontation follows a recent U.S. military strike on a boat alleged to be carrying drugs from Venezuela, which reportedly resulted in 11 fatalities.
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