Pair of Venezuelan F-16s Flew Over Destroyer USS Jason Dunham

Yesterday, September 4th, two F-16 fighters of the Venezuelan Air Force flew over the destroyer USS Jason Dunham.

According to the Pentagon, it was a demonstrative ‘show of force’ by Caracas.

“This highly provocative move was aimed at interfering with our counter-narcoterrorism operations,” the statement said.

CBS News has not been able to determine whether the US ship took any action in response to the Venezuelan fighter jets. The incident comes amid rising tensions between the United States and Venezuela.

The USS Jason Dunham, an Aegis-class missile destroyer, is part of a flotilla of American ships that have been deployed to the coast of Venezuela in recent weeks.

The purpose of the operation, according to the Pentagon, is to combat drug cartels and criminal groups in the region.

The administration of US President Donald Trump accuses Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro of collaborating with drug cartels and organizing drug trafficking to the United States.

In response, Maduro called the presence of US warships a ‘criminal and bloody threat.’

Venezuela has stepped up coastal patrols, using drones and warships.

The incident with the fighter jets is not the only manifestation of escalation. On Tuesday, the U.S. military reported a strike on a boat that, according to them, was transporting drugs from Venezuela. As a result, 11 people were killed, whom the United States associates with the Tren de Aragua gang.

This strike, according to US President Donald Trump and Senator Marco Rubio, is part of a broader campaign against drug trafficking, which Washington believes has the support of the highest levels of the Venezuelan government.

Venezuela denies the allegations, calling them politically motivated. Officials say that the United States is using the fight against drugs as a pretext for military pressure.