MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Venezuelan warplanes overfly US Navy ship in the Caribbean Sea

Rubio explained that his country was “waging war” against drug trafficking groups from Ecuador and Venezuela

US authorities have confirmed that two armed Venezuelan F-16 fighter jets flew over the USS Jason Dunham, a US Navy guided missile destroyer, while it was operating in international waters in the Caribbean.

The Department of Defense described the action as “highly provocative” and a “show of force” intended to interfere with US counter-narcotics and counter-terrorism operations.

“Today, two military aircraft from the Maduro regime flew over a US Navy ship in international waters. This highly provocative action was intended to interfere with our counter-narcotics and counter-terrorism operations. The cartel that governs Venezuela is strongly advised not to continue any efforts to obstruct, deter, or interfere with counter-narcotics and counter-terrorism operations conducted by the US military,” the Pentagon said.

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— Department of Defense (@DeptofDefense) September 5, 2025

This incident occurred amid heightened tensions following a US military strike days earlier against a boat allegedly linked to Venezuela's Tren de Aragua criminal organization, which the US claims resulted in 11 deaths.

Washington has recently deployed a naval force to the Caribbean to intensify the fight against drug trafficking and organized crime.

President Donald Trump has linked the Nicolás Maduro regime to drug cartels and has doubled the reward for the Bolivarian leader's capture from US$25 million to US$50 million.

Maduro has rejected the US accusations and has called the US naval deployment a “criminal and bloody threat” in addition to ordering increased surveillance of Venezuela's coastline.

Also Thursday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that the Ecuadorean Los Lobos and Los Choneros gangs had been designated as foreign terrorist organizations, opening up “all sorts of options” to combat them.

Rubio explained that his country was “waging war” on these groups and that further military actions and strikes against them will continue.

“This time, we’re not just going to hunt for drug dealers in the little fast boats and say, ‘Let’s try to arrest them,’” Rubio said in Quito. ”The president has said he wants to wage war on these groups because they’ve been waging war on us for 30 years, and no one has responded,” he added.

Los Choneros and Los Lobos are reportedly engaged in contract killings, extortion, and drug trafficking, with authorities holding them accountable for the surge in nationwide violence due to disputes over Pacific drug routes and territorial dominance. These conflicts extend into the prison system, where clashes have led to the deaths of hundreds of inmates since 2021.

Ecuador's President Daniel Noboa thanked Rubio for Washington's efforts to “actually eliminate any terrorist threat.”