President Donald Trump warned on Friday that any Venezuelan aircraft posing a threat to the United States would be “shot down,” escalating tensions between Washington and Caracas. The remarks followed an incident where Venezuelan military planes flew near a U.S. Navy vessel in international waters, according to Pentagon reports.
The Pentagon stated that two Venezuelan aircraft conducted flights over the USS Jason Dunham, an Aegis-guided missile destroyer, in the southern Caribbean. Officials described the maneuver as “highly provocative” and emphasized that such actions risk interfering with U.S. counter-narcotics and counterterror operations. The incident marked the second time in two days that Venezuelan planes had been spotted near the ship, with one official noting the aircraft could have been armed.
Trump’s comments came after the White House announced a U.S. military strike on an alleged drug-trafficking boat linked to the Tren de Aragua gang, which the administration designated as a foreign terrorist organization. The operation, carried out earlier in the week, resulted in 11 reported fatalities. Trump told reporters that Venezuela would face “trouble” if it continued such actions, deferring decisions on defensive measures to military commanders.
The U.S. has deployed multiple warships to the region in recent weeks, targeting criminal groups and narco-terrorism networks. The latest developments underscore growing friction between the two nations amid conflicting claims over airspace and security operations.