Venezuela has claimed that the United States unlawfully held a fishing vessel for eight hours, amidst Donald Trump’s ongoing efforts to stop drug traffickers at sea.

In August, US defense leaders declared the dispatch of more than 4,000 Marines and sailors to the areas surrounding Latin America and the Caribbean, as part of the president’s efforts to address drug cartels.

However, on Saturday, Venezuela’s foreign minister criticized the US for reportedly ‘illegally and aggressively’ capturing a fishing boat in its waters using the USS, a US Navy destroyer, the day before.

According to the ministry, the boat, manned by nine tuna fishermen, was located 48 nautical miles northeast of La Blanquilla Island, which is part of Venezuelan territory.

Venezuela stated that the area where the vessel was seized falls within the country’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

This region, as defined by international law, extends 200 nautical miles from a nation’s coastline, affording that nation exclusive privilege to utilize marine resources there.

While other countries may pass through or conduct naval missions within an Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), they cannot use its resources or interfere with lawful civilian operations without the coastal nation’s approval.

Foreign Minister Yván Gil stated on Saturday that the warship ‘deployed 18 armed agents who boarded and occupied the small, harmless boat for eight hours,’ as reported by TeleSUR English.

He also described the incident as a ‘direct provocation through the illegal use of excessive military force,’ noting that the boat had authorization from the Ministry of Fisheries to carry out its work. 

Gil noted that those who ordered the ‘illegitimate’ seizure – during which he presented video footage of the incident – ‘are looking for an incident to justify escalating war in the Caribbean, with the aim of regime change in Caracas.’

Although the nine-man crew was released under escort by the Venezuelan navy, Gil demanded that the US ‘immediately cease these actions that endanger security and peace in the Caribbean.’ 

The ministry’s statement also included a direct message to the American people.

The statement called on US citizens to ‘recognize the seriousness of these maneuvers and reject the use of their soldiers as sacrificial pieces to sustain the desires of a greedy and predatory elite.’

Venezuela ultimately warned that it will defend its sovereignty against any form of ‘provocation.’

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. 

The move has further heightened tensions between the two countries, which have escalated in recent weeks following Washington’s deployment of spy planes, a warship, and even a submarine to the southern Caribbean Sea. 

Venezuela’s leader Nicolás Maduro, who the US does not recognize as the legitimate president of the country after an election last year, threatened to ‘declare a republic in arms’ if attacked by American forces.

He declared that his country was at ‘maximum preparedness’ during a news conference, in response to the increased US maritime presence near Venezuelan waters. 

The leftist leader characterized the US operation as ‘an extravagant, unjustifiable, immoral and absolutely criminal and bloody threat.’

He then warned that US military action against Venezuela would ‘stain’ President Trump’s ‘hands with blood.’

‘President Donald Trump, the pursuit of regime change is exhausted; it has failed as a policy worldwide,’ Maduro said. ‘You cannot pretend to impose a situation in Venezuela.’ 

But Trump has only continued to ramp up pressure on Maduro, whom he accuses of leading a cocaine trafficking cartel. 

Last month, Attorney General Pam Bondi announced a $50million reward for information leading to the capture and arrest of Maduro, saying he uses ‘foreign terrorist organizations’ to ‘bring deadly drugs and violence into our country.’ 

But tensions only intensified last week when US forces blew up an alleged drug-smuggling vessel in the Caribbean, killing 11 people. 

Trump announced the operation from the Oval Office, later stating in a Truth Social post that those killed were members of the Tren de Aragua narcoterrorist group – although the administration has yet to present any evidence supporting this claim. 

‘You’ll see that we just, over the last few minutes literally shot out a boat, a drug-carrying boat, a lot of drugs in that boat,’ Trump told reporters after the strike.

‘We have a lot of drugs pouring into our country, coming in for a long time, and we just – these came out of Venezuela. And coming out very heavily from Venezuela, a lot of things are coming out of Venezuela, so we took it out,’ he added. 

Meanwhile, Venezuela accused the US of committing ‘extrajudicial killings,’ with Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello calling Washington’s account ‘a tremendous lie,’ as reported by WTOP News.

Cabello further suggested that, according to Venezuelan government investigations, the incident could be linked to the disappearance of several individuals in a coastal region of the country who had no ties to drug trafficking. 

‘They openly confessed to killing 11 people,’ Cabello said on state television, according to Aljazeera. 

‘Our investigations show the victims were not drug traffickers,’ he added. ‘A murder has been committed against a group of citizens using lethal force.’

Yet the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has so far seized 30 tons of cocaine that were subsequently linked to Maduro and his associates, according to AG Biondi.

Nearly seven tons of that total was linked to Maduro himself, she added, explaining that this represents a primary source of income for gangs operating in Venezuela and Mexico.

Maduro has since announced the deployment of troops, police, and civilian militias across 284 ‘battlefront’ locations, reinforcing earlier troop increases along the Colombian border. 

The US government has given no indication of plans to conduct a ground incursion, despite deploying more than 4,000 troops to the region.

Nevertheless, the Venezuelan government has called on its citizens to enlist in militias – armed volunteer groups – to support security forces in the event of a potential bombardment.