Photos show Venezuelan fighter jet that ‘aggressively shadowed’ US spy plane
- US Southern Command said the American EP-3 plane was performing a ‘multinationally recognised’ mission
- Venezuela’s defence minister says US spy plane entered Venezuelan airspace
US authorities said that a Venezuelan fighter jet “aggressively shadowed” an American intelligence plane flying in international airspace over the Caribbean, underscoring rising tensions between the two nations.
The US Southern Command said that Venezuela’s action demonstrates reckless behaviour by President Nicolas Maduro, whose government accused the US plane of entering Venezuelan airspace.
US authorities said their EP-3 plane was performing a multinationally approved mission on Friday and the Venezuelan SU-30 fighter jet closely trailed the plane, which the US said endangered its crew.
The response by the Venezuelan fighter jet “undermines int’l rule of law & efforts to counter illicit trafficking,” US authorities tweeted, providing video of what they said was the Russian-made jet.
The Trump administration and more than 50 other nations back opposition leader Juan Guaido’s attempt to oust Maduro, whom they accuse of leading the country into a historic crisis.