Washington DC [US], September 5 (ANI): Two Venezuelan military aircraft flew near a US Navy ship in international waters, the US Department of Defense said, in a move described as 'highly provocative' amid escalating tension between Washington and Caracas.

The Defence Department warned Venezuela in a statement late on Thursday to cease further provocative moves, describing the Venezuelan aircraft buzzing over the US vessel - reported to be the guided-missile destroyer Jason Dunham - as an attempt 'to interfere with our counter-narco-terror operations'.

'Today, two Maduro regime military aircraft flew near a US Navy vessel in international waters,' the Pentagon said in a post on the X platform.

'The cartel running Venezuela is strongly advised not to pursue any further effort to obstruct, deter or interfere with counter-narcotics and counter-terror operations carried out by the US military,' the Pentagon said.

https://x.com/DeptofDefense/status/1963775938233299235

The New York Times cited a US defence official as saying that two Venezuelan F-16 fighter jets flew over the guided-missile destroyer Jason Dunham in the southern Caribbean Sea, but the US ship did not engage the aircraft, as per Al Jazeera.

Venezuelan state media did not mention the reported encounter between US and Venezuelan forces as it covered President Nicolas Maduro announcing the first round activation of the country's National Militia, whose ranks have been bolstered in recent weeks by new volunteers as Washington's threats intensify.

Venezuela's Noticias Venevision news outlet quoted Maduro as saying it was the 'first time in history that the communal units of the militia will be activated, spanning the national map from north to south, from east to west, down to the last community,' as per Al Jazeera.

US President Donald Trump's administration has accused Maduro of operating and having close connections to drug trafficking cartels in Venezuela and the region, claims for which the US has thus far failed to offer any evidence. (ANI)