Venezuela accuses U.S. destroyer of illegally intercepting Venezuelan fishing vessel

Venezuela on Saturday accused a U.S. Navy destroyer of illegally intercepting a Venezuelan fishing vessel carrying out normal fishing operations in the Venezuelan exclusive economic zone on Friday.

The Venezuelan government said the fishing vessel Carmen Rosa, crewed by nine fishermen, was approached Friday about 48 nautical miles northeast of La Blanquilla island by the USS Jason Dunham (DDG-109) destroyer.

In a statement posted on Telegram, Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yvan Gil said the U.S. destroyer deployed 18 armed personnel to board and occupy the fishing vessel for eight hours, during which it blocked the fishing vessel's communication and obstructed its normal operations.

The statement called the U.S. military move "a provocation through the illegal use of military means, aimed at justifying a war escalation in the Caribbean and pushing for regime change."

The Venezuelan government demanded that Washington "immediately cease these actions that put the security and peace of the Caribbean at risk," Gil said at a Saturday press conference, reiterating Venezuela's commitment to peace and to defending its national sovereignty.