Venezuela accuses the United States of flying fighter jets near its coast

(Patria) - Venezuela's Defense Minister, General Vladimir Padrino, stated that five fighter jets were detected near the country's coast, which he characterized as a threat from the United States.

"These are imperialist fighter jets that dared to approach the Venezuelan coast," Padrino said from an air base, in comments broadcast on state television, adding that the information about the jets was reported to the control tower by an airline, Reuters reported.

"The presence of these jets flying near our Caribbean Sea is vulgarity, provocation, a threat to national security," Padrino added.

In a later statement, the government said that Colombian airline Avianca reported the jets about 75 kilometers from the Venezuelan coast.

Venezuela "calls on U.S. Secretary of War Peter Hegseth to immediately cease his reckless, excited, and belligerent attitude," which disrupts peace in the Caribbean, the statement added.

The United States has deployed a fleet of warships in the Caribbean in an operation that Washington claims is aimed at combating drug trafficking. The United States has also attacked several ships it claims were transporting drugs from Venezuela, killing people on board.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has claimed that the United States is seeking regime change but has also offered to engage in talks with U.S. envoy Richard Grenell.

Trump has downplayed suggestions of regime change but has repeatedly accused Maduro of running drug trafficking networks, which the Venezuelan president denies.