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Two Venezuelan F-16 fighter jets buzzed a US warship in the Caribbean on Thursday, prompting a US warning against the Maduro regime interfering in US operations in the region.
The flypast occurred two days after a US strike killed 11 alleged narcoterrorists aboard a Venezuelan boat in international waters.
“Today, two Maduro regime military aircraft flew near a U.S. Navy vessel in international waters,”” the Pentagon said in a statement, labelling it a “highly provocative move.”
“The cartel running Venezuela is strongly advised not to pursue any further effort to obstruct, deter or interfere with counter-narcotics and counter-terror operations carried out by the U.S. military.”
A US official, speaking to Reuters on condition of anonymity, said the 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.
President Trump confirmed Tuesday’s strike against the Venezuelan boat shortly after it happened.
“Earlier this morning, on my Orders, U.S. Military Forces conducted a kinetic strike against positively identified Tren de Aragua Narcoterrorists in the SOUTHCOM area of responsibility. TDA is a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization, operating under the control of Nicolas Maduro, responsible for mass murder, drug trafficking, sex trafficking, and acts of violence and terror across the United States and Western Hemisphere,” the President stated.
“The strike occurred while the terrorists were at sea in International waters transporting illegal narcotics, heading to the United States. The strike resulted in 11 terrorists killed in action. No U.S. Forces were harmed in this strike. Please let this serve as notice to anybody even thinking about bringing drugs into the United States of America. BEWARE!”
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth defended the strike in comments to reporters 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.
Last month, President Trump made the decision to deploy an extra 4,000 US Marines to Latin American waters in order to fight the drug cartels.
According to two defense officials who spoke to CNN, the move is part of a broader strategy to ready the military to target the cartels, and had been in preparation for weeks.
A third source said the deployment was “aimed at addressing threats to US national security from specially designated narco-terrorist organizations in the region.”
The deployment includes the Jima Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) and the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit, reporting to US Southern Command.
One of the officials who spoke to CNN said the buildup was intended as a show of force, but it will also allow the US more options if President Trump does decide to strike the cartels.
The New York Times revealed that President Trump secretly authorized the US military to target the cartels.
“The order provides an official basis for the possibility of direct military operations at sea and on foreign soil against cartels,” The Times explained.
“U.S. military officials have started drawing up options for how the military could go after the groups, the people familiar with the conversations said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive internal deliberations.”
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