CARACAS – Venezuela has accused the United States of illegally boarding and occupying one of its fishing vessels in the country’s special economic zone, further escalating tensions between Caracas and Washington.
In a statement on Saturday, Venezuela’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the vessel, carrying nine “humble” and “harmless” fishermen, was intercepted on Friday by the US destroyer USS Jason Dunham (DDG-109).
“The warship deployed 18 armed agents who boarded and occupied the small, harmless boat for eight hours,” the statement said, calling the incident a “direct provocation through the illegal use of excessive military means.”
The confrontation comes just a week after a US military strike in the Caribbean killed 11 Venezuelans and sank a boat that the administration of US President Donald Trump claimed—without evidence—was transporting narcotics. Venezuela has rejected the allegation, with Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello insisting none of the victims were members of the Tren de Aragua gang, as Washington asserted.
“They openly confessed to killing 11 people,” Cabello said on state television. “Our investigations show the victims were not drug traffickers. A murder has been committed against a group of citizens using lethal force.”
The White House defended the strike. Spokeswoman Anna Kelly described the victims as “evil Tren de Aragua narcoterrorists,” adding that Nicolás Maduro is “not the legitimate president of Venezuela” and a “fugitive.” While several countries dispute Maduro’s legitimacy, citing what they consider unfair elections, the Trump administration has not provided evidence linking him to the Tren de Aragua. US intelligence agencies have also said there is no indication of coordination between the Venezuelan government and traffickers.
In response, President Maduro announced the deployment of troops, police, and civilian militias across 284 “battlefront” locations, reinforcing earlier troop increases along the Colombian border. Speaking from Ciudad Caribia, he declared Venezuela’s readiness to defend its waters: “We’re ready for an armed fight, if it’s necessary.”
Meanwhile, the US has expanded its military presence in the southern Caribbean, sending additional warships and deploying 10 F-35 fighter jets to Puerto Rico. Last month, Washington doubled its reward for information leading to Maduro’s arrest to $50 million, citing alleged drug trafficking and criminal ties—claims Venezuela strongly denies, asserting it is not a drug-producing country. (Aljazeera)
