Venezuelan fighter jets conducted a “show of force” near a U.S. Navy vessel in international waters off the coast of Venezuela this week, prompting a response from the Pentagon.The incident, which occurred Wednesday, involved Venezuelan Su-30 fighter jets flying as close as 1,000 feet from the USS Lassen, a guided-missile destroyer, according to U.S.officials.
The encounter escalates tensions between the U.S. and Venezuela amid ongoing counter-narcotics operations and U.S. efforts to pressure the Maduro regime. The incident raises concerns about potential miscalculation and the risk of escalation in a region already grappling with political instability and illicit trafficking. The U.S. Navy has increased its presence in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean as part of Operation Vigilant Sentry,aimed at disrupting drug smuggling routes.
The Department of Defense (DOD) addressed the incident on X, formerly Twitter, stating, “The 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 U.S. military.” The Navy also deployed the cruiser USS Lake Erie in the Pacific Ocean off Latin America.
U.S. officials have not disclosed the specific type of munitions aboard the USS Lassen, nor details regarding the criteria used to classify the vessel and its crew as targets. Requests for comment from Navy Times to the White House, Navy, and Pentagon were declined.
The incident follows increased U.S. pressure on Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro, including a $50 million reward offered by U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi on August 7 for his arrest, labeling him a “threat to the national security” of the U.S., as reported by CBS News.