Release Date 
09/05/2025

Two Venezuelan military aircraft flew near a United States Navy ship in international waters, the US Department of Defense has said, in a move described as “highly provocative” amid escalating tension between Washington and Caracas.

The Defense Department warned Venezuela in a statement late on Thursday to cease further provocative moves, describing the Venezuelan aircraft buzzing over the US vessel – reported to be the guided-missile destroyer Jason Dunham – as an attempt “to interfere with our counter-narco-terror operations”.

Today, two Maduro regime military aircraft flew near a US Navy vessel in international waters,” the Pentagon said in a post on the X platform.

“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 US military,” the Pentagon said.