US military jet nearly hits passenger plane near Venezuela

(MENAFN) A passenger airliner narrowly avoided a mid-air collision with a US military aircraft near the Venezuelan coast on Friday, according to reports from news outlets based on radio communications and flight tracking data.

The incident involved JetBlue Flight 1112, traveling from Curaçao to New York City’s JFK Airport. About 20 minutes after takeoff, the plane reportedly lost altitude during its climb. The pilot said, “We almost had a midair collision up here… They passed directly in our flight path… They don’t have their transponder turned on; it’s outrageous.”

JetBlue spokesman Derek Dombrowski confirmed the airline had reported the event to authorities, praising the crew for following proper procedures.

The incident comes amid heightened US military activity in the Caribbean and President Donald Trump’s recent threats to strike “narcoterrorists” in Venezuela. US Southern Command spokesman Colonel Manny Ortiz said the military is reviewing the situation and reaffirmed that safety is a top priority.

Since September, US strikes targeting alleged cartel boats have killed more than 80 people. The US claims the vessels were being used by the Venezuelan government to traffic drugs, while Venezuela denies the allegations, calling the strikes part of a “colonialist” agenda against President Nicolas Maduro.

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