Venezuelans planes fly near the American navy ship in a “very provocative movement”

The Defense Ministry confirmed Thursday evening that two Venezuelan planes had stolen from an American navy ship in international waters. The incident, which the department called for a “very provocative decision”, comes as the Trump administration increases its anti-narco-terrorism efforts.

“Today, two military aircraft of the Maduro regime have stolen from an American navy ship in international waters. This very provocative decision was designed to interfere with our narco-terrorist meter operations,” the Ministry of Defense wrote in a press release Posted on X. “The executive cartel Le Venezuela is strongly advised not to pursue efforts to obstruct, dissuade or interfere with counter-noel operations and the counter-terrorist operations carried out by the American army.”

Venezuela’s actions followed an unprecedented US sea shot Tuesday on a ship in Cartel. The Trump administration later said that 11 members of the famous Venezuelan gang Tren of Aragua – a terrorist organization designated by the United States – were killed in the strike.

Trump’s strike on the cartel’s ship off Venezuela sends a warning to Maduro: “no sanctuary”

Tensions between Venezuela and the United States continue to degenerate. The Pentagon said on September 4 that two Venezuelan planes flew over an American navy ship in international waters. (Alexander Zemlianichenko / Pool via Reuters; Brian Snyder / Reuters)

Before the strike on Tuesday, American efforts to counter cartels and international gang organizations had taken place largely in the form of crisis and apprehension operations. The strike, however, seemed to point out that the Trump administration was moving towards a more difficult new approach.

Video sequences showed the ship shortly before destroying it. (@Realdonaldtrump via social social)

Rubio says that Trump “ wants to wage war ” on venezuelans drug traffickers: “ explode them if that’s what it takes ”

On Thursday, during a visit to the equator, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that two gangs were reclassified as a foreign terrorist organization. Rubio also criticized the involvement of the Venezuelan management in the drug trade. He continued to condemn Nicolás Maduro as an “drug trafficker accused” and a “fugitive of American justice”.

The president of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro and the first lady Cilia Flores paraded in a military vehicle during the celebrations of the independence day, in Caracas on July 5, 2025. (Juan Barto / AFP via Getty Images)

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“Maduro is charged by a large jury in the South New York district. This means that the South New York district presented the evidence to a large jury, and a large jury charged it. And then a replaced accusation act was released which was not sealed about a year and a half which specifically detailed Maduro’s actions,” said Rubio. “So, number one, that there is no doubt that he, Nicolás Maduro, is a drug trafficker charged in the United States, and he is a fugitive of American justice.”

Rubio also seemed to indicate that the United States and its allies worked together on this more difficult approach to cartels and international gang organizations. He said that “cooperative governments” would help the United States identify drug traffickers and “make them explode, if that’s what it takes.”

Caitlin McFall of Fox News Digital contributed to this report.