On Thursday, two Venezuelan F-16 fighter jets conducted a flyover of a U.S. Navy destroyer stationed in the Caribbean, according to a U.S. official speaking to Reuters. This move prompted the U.S. to issue a strong warning to Venezuela against disrupting its growing military activities in the region.
The flyover took place in international waters, as reported by the Pentagon, adding to the mounting tensions days after a U.S. operation resulted in the death of 11 individuals on a Venezuelan vessel. President Trump claimed the ship was involved in narcotics trafficking.
Despite the Trump administration’s assertions that it has the legal grounds to target alleged affiliates of the Tren de Aragua criminal network, which was labeled a terrorist group by Washington earlier in the year, legal analysts have questioned the legitimacy of the attack.
The Pentagon, in a brief statement outlining the incident, likened Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s regime to a drug-smuggling operation, an accusation rejected by Caracas. Trump has held Maduro responsible for directing the Tren de Aragua.
“Today, two aircraft operated by the Maduro regime approached a U.S. Navy ship in international waters,” stated the Pentagon, branding the action as “highly provocative.”
“The Venezuelan administration, labeled a cartel, is firmly cautioned against any attempts to impede, threaten, or interfere with U.S. military operations focused on countering narcotics and terrorism.”
Venezuela’s Communications Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
A U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the Venezuelan military aircraft were F-16s and that they flew over the USS Jason Dunham.
The Dunham is one of at least seven U.S. warships deployed to the Caribbean, carrying more than 4,500 sailors and Marines, in a military buildup that has drawn concern from Caracas.
U.S. Marines and sailors from the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit have also been carrying out amphibious training and flight operations in southern Puerto Rico.
Trump’s decision to blow up a suspected drug vessel passing through the Caribbean, instead of seizing the vessel and apprehending its crew, is highly unusual and evokes memories of the U.S. fight against militant groups like al Qaeda.
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth defended the strike in comments to reporters earlier on Thursday and vowed such activities would continue, citing the threat that illegal narcotics pose to public health in the United States.
“The poisoning of the American people is over,” Hegseth said.
Rep. Ilhan Omar, a Democrat from Minnesota, condemned what she called Trump’s “lawless” actions in the southern Caribbean.
“Congress has not declared war on Venezuela, or Tren de Aragua, and the mere designation of a group as a terrorist organization does not give any President carte blanche to ignore Congress’s clear Constitutional authority on matters of war and peace,” Omar said in a statement.
