The Venezuelan government accused U.S. personnel of boarding and occupying a civilian fishing boat on Friday, in the latest example of tensions as the U.S. carries out “counter narco-terror operations” in the Caribbean. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
A U.S. official told ABC News that Coast Guard personnel stationed aboard the U.S. Navy destroyer USS Jason Dunham searched the fishing boat for drugs following a tip but did not locate any contraband.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Venezuela’s Foreign Ministry office claimed Saturday that the U.S. Navy deployed “eighteen personnel with long-range weapons who boarded and occupied” the Venezuelan fishing vessel in waters within Venezuela’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“This operation lacks any strategic proportionality and constitutes a direct provocation through the illegal use of excessive military means,” the foreign ministry said in a statement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A U.S. official with knowledge of the incident confirmed to ABC News that the Jason Dunham received information to board the Venezuelan small craft to see if it was carrying drugs.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n The law enforcement detachment aboard the destroyer boarded the Venezuelan craft and carried out a search that turned up no drugs, according to the official.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The U.S. official disputed claims from the Venezuelan foreign ministry that the search took eight hours and they contended the boat was in international waters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Trump announced earlier this month that he ordered more military presence in the ocean to tackle illegal drug smuggling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On Sept. 2, he announced that the U.S. ordered a strike<\/a> on an alleged drug boat that originated from South America and “positively identified Tren de Aragua Narcoterrorists.” The president said 11 alleged terrorists were killed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Earlier this month, the Pentagon said two Venezuelan military aircraft<\/a> flew near the same U.S. Navy vessel — the USS Jason Dunham — in international waters in a “highly provocative move” that it said aimed to disrupt the U.S. operations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n