CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Personnel from a U.S. warship boarded a Venezuelan tuna boat with nine fishermen while it was sailing in Venezuelan waters, Venezuela’s foreign minister said on Saturday, underlining strained relations with the United States.
Tensions between the two nations escalated after U.S. President Donald Trump in August ordered the deployment of warships in the Caribbean, off the coast of the South American country, citing the fight against Latin American drug cartels.
The fishing boat had authorization from the Ministry of Fisheries to carry out its work, Gil said at a press conference, during which he presented photos of the incident.
Along with the statement, Venezuela’s foreign affairs ministry distributed a short video, taken, according to the ministry, by the Venezuelan fishermen.
In the video, it is alleged that part of the fishing boat, U.S. Navy personnel and the U.S. warship can be seen.
AP/CARACAS, Venezuela — Members of a U.S. A. In an effort to highlight tense ties with the United States, Venezuela’s foreign minister said on Saturday that a warship boarded a tuna boat carrying nine fishermen while it was traveling through Venezuelan waters.
A request for comment from the White House was not immediately answered.
The two countries’ tensions increased following U.S. A. Citing the battle against Latin American drug cartels, President Donald Trump mandated the deployment of warships in the Caribbean, off the coast of the South American nation, in August.
READ MORE: Trump’s use of military force is called into question after he struck an alleged drug boat in Venezuela.
According to a statement read by Foreign Minister Yván Gil on Saturday, the Venezuelan tuna boat was “illegally and hostilely boarded by a United States Navy destroyer,” and 18 armed personnel stayed on board for eight hours, interfering with communication and the fishermen’s regular activities. The Venezuelan navy then escorted their release.
Gil gave pictures of the incident at a press conference and claimed that the Ministry of Fisheries had given the fishing boat permission to operate.
The foreign affairs ministry of Venezuela released a brief video, which it claims was shot by the country’s fishermen, along with the statement. There are claims in the video that a portion of the fishing boat, U. S. . members of the Navy and the U. S. . There is a visible warship.
Gil stated, “Those who order such provocations are looking for an incident that would justify a military escalation in the Caribbean,” with the goal being to “persist in their failed policy” of changing the Venezuelan government.
Venezuela will defend its sovereignty against any “provocation,” Gil said, calling the incident “illegitimate” and “illegal.”. “”.
The complaint from Venezuela comes days after Trump claimed that his nation had attacked a ship carrying drugs and killed 11 people on board. Trump claimed that the ship had left Venezuela and was transporting Tren de Aragua gang members, but his administration has not provided any proof to back up that assertion.
The United States was accused by Venezuela of extrajudicial executions. Diosdado Cabello, the interior minister of the South American nation, called Washington’s version “a tremendous lie” and implied that the incident might be connected to the disappearance of some people in a coastal area of the country who had nothing to do with drug trafficking, based on investigations by the Venezuelan government.
Nicolás Maduro, the leader of Venezuela, has been charged by the Trump administration with organizing a cartel to flood the U.S. A. with narcotics, and increased the $5 million reward for his capture to $50 million.
The U. S. . With more than 4,000 troops stationed in the region, the government has made no indication that it intends to launch a ground invasion.
However, in the event of a possible invasion, the Venezuelan government has urged its people to join the militias, which are armed volunteers, to support its security forces. It advised them to attend training sessions at military barracks on Saturday.
