Following confirmation of the upcoming deployment of stealth F-35 fighters to Puerto Rico, and for the second consecutive day, F-16s of the Venezuelan Bolivarian Military Aviation (AMB) carried out a flyby near one of the U.S. Navy destroyers deployed in the Caribbean, as part of efforts to bolster the presence of assets dedicated to counter-narcotics operations. The incident, which occurred just hours ago, involved the same protagonists as on September 4, amid escalating rhetoric from U.S. President Donald Trump.
As has been reported for weeks, the United States is conducting a significant deployment of air, naval, and submarine assets in the Caribbean region, within the framework of a White House strategy against drug cartels such as Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua, an organization the State Department designated as a “foreign terrorist organization” in February of this year.
The latest episode comes after a series of events and decisions that have increased tensions between Caracas and Washington in recent days. In addition to the close flybys carried out twice by AMB F-16s against the USS Jason Dunham (DDG-109), one of three Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers deployed to the region, there was also an attack—presumably carried out with drones—against a boat transporting a drug shipment, in which all eleven occupants were killed instantly.
The execution of this second close flyby by Venezuelan military aircraft occurred on a particularly tense day in terms of statements. Prior to the incident, the U.S. Department of Defense—recently renamed the “Department of War”—confirmed that a detachment of up to ten stealth F-35 fighters would soon be stationed in Puerto Rico.
During a White House press conference, where the episode involving the aircraft and the destroyer was mentioned, President Trump issued stern warnings against the Bolivarian regime, stating that if the ship were put in a dangerous position for its crew, U.S. forces would not hesitate to shoot down the fighters.
In his own words, the president stated: “They’ll get in trouble. We’ll let them know. We learned what happened, but it really didn’t end that way, not as they described it.” Addressing General Dan Caine, then Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who was present at the Oval Office press briefing, he added: “I’d say you… you or your captains can make the decision on what you want to do,” before concluding: “If they put us in a dangerous position, they will be shot down.”
Photos used for illustrative purposes only.
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