US President Donald Trump has issued a sharp warning to Venezuela, stating that any military aircraft flying dangerously close to American naval ships will be shot down. His remarks follow reports that Venezuelan jets approached a US vessel off the coast of South America for the second time in two days, according to US officials cited by CBS News.
The confrontation comes in the wake of a recent US strike on what Washington described as a Venezuelan gang-operated boat transporting narcotics. The attack left 11 people dead, further escalating tensions between the two countries.
Trump stressed that the United States would not tolerate actions that threaten its forces, framing Venezuela’s flights as a clear provocation. “If they put us in a dangerous position, they’ll be shot down,” he said.
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro dismissed Washington’s claims as false, insisting that his government was not involved in drug trafficking operations. He warned that political differences should not be allowed to spiral into armed conflict.
The latest exchange underscores the fragile relationship between Washington and Caracas, already strained by years of sanctions, disputes over human rights, and US allegations of corruption within Maduro’s government.
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