Venezuela says US naval presence is 'undeclared war'

By Laura Gamba

BOGOTA, Colombia (AA) - Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino said on Friday that the deployment of US ships in the Caribbean constitutes an "undeclared war" and a "military threat."

During an update on military exercises, Padrino claimed that the US has been "executing" people in the Caribbean Sea, regardless of whether they are drug traffickers or not.

"It's an undeclared war, and you can already see how people, whether they are drug traffickers or not, have been executed in the Caribbean Sea," he stated.

Venezuela announced 72-hour military exercises on the island of La Orchila, which include 12 military ships, 22 aircraft, amphibious vehicles, and 2,300 troops. State television broadcast images of the maneuvers, which, according to Padrino, included the firing of C-802 and C-M90 class missiles and rockets.

Padrino said there were "no accidents or incidents" during the exercises.

La Orchila is located 160 kilometers (99.4 miles) from Caracas, near where a Venezuelan fishing vessel was allegedly intercepted by a US warship for eight hours last weekend.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro questioned the incident on Monday.

"What were they looking for? Who gave the order in Washington for a missile destroyer to send 18 armed Marines to raid a tuna fishing vessel?"

The US has stated it has attacked at least three vessels in the Caribbean in recent weeks, claiming that they were trafficking drugs from Venezuela. According to the US, these attacks resulted in at least 14 deaths.

Padrino has questioned why the US military, with its advanced technology, did not intercept the vessels before attacking them.

"Executed, without the right to a defense," he said, accusing the US of no longer respecting international law.

Tensions between the two nations escalated after US President Donald Trump ordered the deployment of warships to the Caribbean to combat Latin American drug cartels. The Trump administration has accused Maduro of leading a drug cartel and has doubled the reward for his capture to $50 million.