Additional Coverage:
- Venezuelan military jets buzz US Navy ship in ‘highly provocative’ move, Pentagon says (foxnews.com)
Pentagon Confirms Venezuelan Jets Buzzed US Navy Vessel
The Department of Defense has confirmed a tense encounter in international waters involving two Venezuelan military aircraft and a US Navy ship. The Department labeled the incident a “highly provocative move” and directly connected it to the ongoing US counter-narcotics operations in the region.
In a statement posted on X, the Defense Department warned the “cartel running Venezuela” against further interference with US military counter-drug and counter-terrorism operations. This incident follows closely on the heels of an unprecedented US strike on a cartel vessel earlier this week, resulting in the deaths of 11 members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, a designated terrorist organization.
Adding to the escalating tension, a source confirmed to Fox News that ten F-35 stealth fighter jets are being deployed to Puerto Rico to support counter-narcotics efforts in the Caribbean. This deployment suggests a more aggressive stance by the Trump administration against drug trafficking in the region.
During a visit to Ecuador on Thursday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the reclassification of two gangs as foreign terrorist organizations and strongly condemned the Venezuelan government’s involvement in the drug trade. He referred to Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro as an “indicted drug trafficker” and a “fugitive of American justice,” citing a grand jury indictment in the Southern District of New York. Rubio hinted at a collaborative approach with “cooperative governments” to target drug traffickers, using forceful language that suggested the possibility of further military action.