Trump Issues Warning to Venezuelan Military Aircraft
WASHINGTON — In a bold move, US President Donald Trump issued a stern warning on Friday, declaring that Venezuelan military aircraft approaching US naval vessels in the Caribbean would be met with force: “shot down.”
During a press briefing in the Oval Office, Trump did not mince words, stating, “I would say they’re going to be in trouble. We’ll let them know about that … if they fly in a dangerous position.” This statement came after two Venezuelan F-16 fighter jets flew dangerously close to a US warship in the Caribbean Sea on Thursday.
The US Defense Department condemned the maneuver as “highly provocative” and urged Caracas to refrain from interfering with US counter-narcotics and counter-terror operations in the region.
Trump emphasized the US government’s commitment to combating drug trafficking originating from Venezuela and other sources: “We don’t want drugs coming in from Venezuela or anybody else, or any place else, so we’ll be tough on that.”
When questioned about the possibility of the US seeking regime change in Venezuela, Trump avoided a direct answer, stating, “Well, we’re not talking about that, but we are talking about the fact that you had an election, which was a very strange election. To put it mildly, I’m being very nice when I say that.”
He also made allegations about Venezuelan criminals entering the US, claiming that members of the Tren de Aragua transnational criminal organization had infiltrated the country after Venezuelan prisons were supposedly opened up to facilitate their entry.
Notably, Trump had previously signed an executive order granting permission for an escalated use of military force against Latin American drug cartels. As a result, a US naval group comprising seven warships and a submarine was deployed to Caribbean waters near Venezuela on August 28. — Agencies
