Click to view full size

Two Venezuelan F-16 fighter jets flew over the USS Jason Dunham on Thursday in what U.S. officials described as a “show of force.” The Dunham, part of a flotilla deployed in the southern Caribbean, did not disclose any response. The Pentagon later confirmed the incident on X, calling it a “highly provocative move” and warning Venezuela’s leadership against obstructing U.S. counter-narcotics operations.

The flyover comes amid escalating tensions following a U.S. strike on September 1 that destroyed a boat traveling from Venezuela to Trinidad, killing 11 men. Washington claims the victims were part of the Tren de Aragua gang smuggling drugs, while Venezuela insists they were fishermen. Independent outlet El Pitazo reported most of the dead were from the coastal town of San Juan de Unare, sparking grief and anger locally.

President Donald Trump, who ordered the strike, said it was necessary to send “an unmistakable message” to Latin American cartels. Secretary of State Marco Rubio suggested the drugs were bound for Trinidad or another Caribbean country. Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar backed the operation, describing traffickers as deserving to be “killed violently,” a remark that unsettled local fisherfolk and civil society groups.