Defense Department says \u2018two Maduro regime military aircraft\u2019 flew near US warship in a \u2018highly provocative\u2019 move.<\/p>\n
Published On 5 Sep 20255 Sep 2025<\/p>\n
Two Venezuelan military aircraft flew near a United States Navy ship in international waters, the US Department of Defense has said, in a move described as \u201chighly provocative\u201d amid escalating tension between<\/a> Washington and Caracas.<\/p>\n The Defense Department warned Venezuela in a statement late on Thursday to cease further provocative moves, describing the Venezuelan aircraft buzzing over the US vessel \u2013 reported to be the guided-missile destroyer Jason Dunham \u2013 as an attempt \u201cto interfere with our counter-narco-terror operations\u201d.<\/p>\n Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list<\/p>\n \u201cToday, two Maduro regime military aircraft flew near a US Navy vessel in international waters,\u201d the Pentagon said in a post on the X platform.<\/p>\n \u201cThe 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 US military,\u201d the Pentagon said.<\/p>\n pic.twitter.com\/PSxm3uRsfM<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Department of Defense \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 (@DeptofDefense) September 5, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n The New York Times cited a US defence official as saying that two Venezuelan F-16 fighter jets flew over the guided-missile destroyer Jason Dunham in the southern Caribbean Sea, but the US ship did not engage the aircraft.<\/p>\n Venezuelan state media did not mention the reported encounter between US and Venezuelan forces as it covered President Nicolas Maduro announcing the first round activation of the country\u2019s National Militia<\/a>, whose ranks have been bolstered in recent weeks by new volunteers as Washington\u2019s threats intensify.<\/p>\n Venezuela\u2019s Noticias Venevision news outlet quoted Maduro as saying it was the \u201cfirst time in history that the communal units of the militia will be activated, spanning the national map from north to south, from east to west, down to the last community\u201d.<\/p>\n US President Donald Trump\u2019s administration has accused Maduro of operating and having close connections to drug trafficking<\/a> cartels in Venezuela and the region, claims for which the US has thus far failed to offer any evidence.<\/p>\n In August, Washington doubled a reward<\/a> to $50m for information leading to Maduro\u2019s arrest over allegations of his involvement in cocaine trafficking. Shortly after, the US deployed several ships and a nuclear-powered submarine to the Caribbean and waters off the coast of Venezuela in an operation said to target drug cartels.<\/p>\n