Trump states US is allowed to shoot down Venezuelan aircraft if they impose threat

(MENAFN) President Donald Trump has stated that the US military is authorized to shoot down Venezuelan planes if commanders determine they pose a threat. His remarks came after reports that Venezuelan jets had flown near American warships participating in what Washington describes as an anti-drug operation near Venezuela.

When asked on Friday what the US would do if Venezuelan aircraft approached its naval vessels again, Trump warned, “they’re going to be in trouble.” He added, “If they do put us in a dangerous position, we’ll shoot them down.”

Trump dismissed claims from Caracas that Washington aims to overthrow President Nicolas Maduro, saying, “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.”

He framed the US presence in the region as a crackdown on drug trafficking, noting, “Billions of dollars of drugs are pouring into our country from Venezuela. The prisons of Venezuela have been opened up to our country.” He added that US forces would target vessels suspected of carrying narcotics.

Recently, the US deployed at least eight warships and an attack submarine to the Caribbean, along with ten F-35 stealth fighters in Puerto Rico, to prevent further Venezuelan flyovers. Earlier this week, a US strike on a boat linked to a drug operation reportedly killed 11 people. In response, Maduro warned that Venezuela would escalate to a stage of “armed struggle” if attacked.

Tensions between the US and Venezuela have persisted for years, with Washington refusing to recognize Maduro’s 2018 reelection and imposing extensive sanctions on the country’s oil and financial sectors.

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