Venezuela on Thursday accused the United States of threatening its sovereignty after at least five American combat aircraft reportedly approached its coastline.
In a televised address, Defence Minister Vladimir Padrino said the country’s air defenses and airport tracking systems detected “more than five combat aircraft” close to Venezuelan airspace. He denounced the incident as “a great threat” and “military harassment in front of the world.”
The accusation comes amid escalating tensions between Washington and Caracas following a series of US strikes on suspected Venezuelan drug boats in the southern Caribbean. According to Venezuelan officials, at least three vessels have been destroyed in recent weeks, leaving 14 dead. The United Nations criticized the operations, calling them “extrajudicial executions.”
Last month, US President Donald Trump ordered the deployment of 10 F-35 fighter jets to Puerto Rico—the largest US military buildup in the Caribbean in more than 30 years—along with eight warships and a nuclear-powered submarine, citing efforts to curb drug trafficking.
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has warned he may declare a state of emergency, framing the US actions as signs of “aggression.” Caracas has repeatedly accused Washington of intimidation and harassment in the region.
