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Tensions between Washington and Caracas escalated again this Friday, as Venezuelan fighter jets flew over the USS Jason Dunham destroyer for the second time in two days in international waters, as confirmed to CBS News by several officials from the United States Department of Defense.
Sources described the maneuver as "playing with fire" (chicken game in English), emphasizing that the F-16 fighters of the Bolivarian National Armed Force (FANB) positioned themselves close enough to fall within the reach of the weapons, both from the ship and the aircraft. It was not specified whether the planes were armed.
The episode is even more significant because it occurred just hours after President Donald Trump issued a direct warning to Caracas.
In a press conference on Friday morning, the leader had instructed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan Caine: “If they fly in a dangerous position… you or your captains can decide what to do. If they do something dangerous, we will shoot them down.”
That warning followed a first Venezuelan overflight detected on Thursday, which the Pentagon officially labeled as a "highly provocative action" aimed at interfering with anti-narcotics and anti-terrorism operations.
The USS Jason Dunham is part of a flotilla of destroyers and amphibious ships deployed in the Caribbean with over 4,500 personnel, as part of Trump's strategy to tackle regional drug trafficking and, in particular, the Cartel of the Suns, which Washington accuses of being led by Nicolás Maduro and his military circle.
In parallel, the White House confirmed that ten F-35 fighters, considered the most advanced in the U.S. arsenal, will be deployed to Puerto Rico to reinforce the military campaign. This movement enhances the deterrence and attack capabilities of the U.S. amid increasing incidents involving Venezuelan aircraft and vessels.
Last Tuesday, a U.S. naval operation sank a ship identified as belonging to the criminal group Tren de Aragua, resulting in 11 deaths. Caracas responded by accusing Washington of “seeking a regime change through military threats” and warned about the preparation of a “planned armed struggle” in case of aggression.
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