Two Venezuelan military aircraft flew
over US Navy ship in ‘highly provocative
move,’ Pentagon says
New York Post,
by
Victor Nava
Original Article
Posted By: 4250Luis,
9/5/2025 6:28:11 AM
A US Navy ship conducting counter-drug operations was interfered with Thursday when two Venezuelan military aircraft flew over the vessel, according to the Department of Defense.
The maneuver, described by the Pentagon as “highly provocative,” comes two days after the US forces attacked a Tren de Aragua drug smuggling boat in the Caribbean Sea, killing 11 narco-terrorists.
“Today, two Maduro regime military aircraft flew near a US Navy vessel in international waters,” the Pentagon said in a statement. “This highly provocative move was designed to interfere with our counter narco-terror operations.”
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Reply 1 - Posted by:
Strike3 9/5/2025 6:48:17 AM (No. 1999692)
The Navy knows how to handle it.
14 people like this.
Reply 2 - Posted by:
czechlist 9/5/2025 7:34:52 AM (No. 1999714)
Precedent
I recall the Gulf of Sidra
8 people like this.
Reply 3 - Posted by:
JunkYardDog 9/5/2025 7:38:58 AM (No. 1999716)
Maduro needs to look "strong" in front of Venezuelans, but the last thing he needs is to shoot at a US Navy ship. The Fat Electrician is just dying to make another Youtube video about how the US Navy destroyed Maduro's military in an 8 hour workday and then went out for ice cream.
15 people like this.
Reply 4 - Posted by:
mobyclik 9/5/2025 8:09:31 AM (No. 1999728)
Those pilots knew they were 'flying dead men' if they made one suspicious move. So it was either make the flight and wind up as missile mush or refuse Maduros order and wind up as butchered dead men. Ahh, life in a communist hellhole.
22 people like this.
Reply 5 - Posted by:
bighambone 9/5/2025 8:18:35 AM (No. 1999734)
Essentially the Maduro narco regime ordered those two pilots to see if they could commit suicide by flying over a US guided missile destroyer. This time the pilots were lucky, but next time with Trump as US Commander in Chief, Venezuelan pilots may not be so lucky.
11 people like this.
Reply 6 - Posted by:
Trump Won 9/5/2025 8:52:15 AM (No. 1999755)
"The aircraft involved were reportedly armed F-16 fighter jets."
Armed fighter jets is rather redundant. I'll bet the guided missile cruiser was armed as well.
8 people like this.
Reply 7 - Posted by:
anniebc 9/5/2025 9:08:00 AM (No. 1999762)
Is the Navy leaving out what they did to them, or did we do nothing?
I like this part FTA, though: "The Justice Department last month placed a $50 million bounty on Maduro’s head, citing his involvement with the cartels."
7 people like this.
Reply 8 - Posted by:
Geoman 9/5/2025 10:35:12 AM (No. 1999804)
There is something wrong with rules of engagement that allow overflights of U.S. warships by enemy combat aircraft.
12 people like this.
Reply 9 - Posted by:
MindMadeUp 9/5/2025 10:58:57 AM (No. 1999814)
The Venezuelan pilots ordered to do this must have had to say a prayer and squeeze their sphincters at the time. It took guts (or stupidity). Trump's Navy is not someone you want to play games of chicken with.
10 people like this.
Reply 10 - Posted by:
chumley 9/5/2025 11:29:57 AM (No. 1999829)
Safe bet there were hundreds of triggers about to be pulled on those 16s as soon as they left their base. I doubt the navy was in any real danger. Its just a bunch of 3rd world banana repubicers trying to look tough with the weapons we gave them and probably can disable remotely.
6 people like this.
Even though the fighters were armed I'm pretty sure the weapons were safed and there was no indices of targeting.
4 people like this.
Reply 12 - Posted by:
Alecto2 9/5/2025 12:06:09 PM (No. 1999842)
FTA: "A US Navy ship conducting counter-drug operations was interfered with" Oh, please, they must have been so scared! In international waters, their planes are just as entitled to be there as our ship is. The psyops folks are working overtime, stoking the paranoia. Next, we'll be firing on sea mammals claiming it's our casus belli.
The American way: don't do as we do, do as we say. We'll brush off the illegal act of blasting a boat at sea because it was supposedly Tren de Aragua ferrying drugs. 11 people in a boat to ferry drugs? Or were Tren de Aragua conducting their normal business practice of human trafficking. Guess we'll just take have to take our authorities word for it!
2 people like this.
Reply 13 - Posted by:
rikkitikki 9/5/2025 12:13:04 PM (No. 1999845)
Let me guess...the F-16s flew portside, while a drug boat snuck by on starboard....
2 people like this.
Reply 14 - Posted by:
WI Cynic 9/5/2025 12:21:22 PM (No. 1999847)
The ship's CO should never have allowed this to happen. The aircraft can launch without using any targeting radar, and bad things will happen: read that as, our people killed and our ship put out of action.
USS Stark (FFG-31) 17May1987.
1 person likes this.
Reply 15 - Posted by:
paral04 9/5/2025 1:21:29 PM (No. 1999873)
It would seem those ships are positioned in International waters and Maduro can't do much about it. If he attacks then he started a conflict between our two government which for him would not be a good move. Trump would love to blow him up.
1 person likes this.
Reply 16 - Posted by:
danu 9/5/2025 4:16:26 PM (No. 1999934)
mad doggo is smuggling on thin ice...
1 person likes this.
Reply 17 - Posted by:
Omen55 9/5/2025 6:07:11 PM (No. 1999956)
"Go ahead make my day."
USN
0 people like this.
There are just certain things one military does not do to another's forces whether or not it is international waters.
I am guessing the targeting radar detectors on the Venezuelan jets were screeching loud and clear in the pilots' head sets. I would take the frigate skipper's action as an admirable show of restraint towards pilots who were coerced into flying that mission. It also puts everyone else on notice that USN's absolute ability to take down threats is subject only to the desires of the CinC who hates killing people unnecessarily but will not hesitate to protect any US forces.
0 people like this.
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