Trump sends 10 warplanes to Puerto Rico... and warns Venezuela to shoot down its forces.
Arabian Sea Newspaper - Special
Arabian Gulf_AFP: Trump warned Venezuela on Friday that its warplanes would be shot down if they threatened U.S. forces, after Washington announced it was sending ten F-35 fighter jets to Puerto Rico as part of the war on drugs. The planes will join U.S. warships deployed in the southern Caribbean, as Trump escalates pressure on Maduro, whom the United States accuses of leading a drug cartel. Tensions have risen in recent days, with the Pentagon announcing that two Venezuelan military aircraft flew over a U.S. Navy ship on Thursday, warning Caracas against any further escalation after this "highly provocative" move. "If they put us in a dangerous position, they're going to be shot down," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Friday in response to a question about what steps he would take if the incident were to happen again. Venezuelan President calls for dialogue For his part, the Venezuelan president responded by calling for dialogue as tensions between the two countries escalate in the Caribbean region. He said on Friday that disagreements with the United States should not lead to military conflict. "No disagreement with the United States should lead to military conflict. There is no justification for it," Nicolas Maduro said in a message broadcast on local media, noting that "the intelligence reports they gave (to Trump) are incorrect. Venezuela today is a country free of coca leaf and cocaine production, and it is a country that fights drug trafficking." Maduro added: "Venezuela has always been ready to talk and engage in dialogue, but we demand respect." On the other hand, White House Deputy Chief of Staff Steven Miller on Friday criticized Maduro, describing him as "accused of drug trafficking," and considering that Venezuela is run by a "drug cartel, a drug trafficking organization." Eight U.S. ships in the region Eight U.S. Navy ships are currently participating in drug-fighting efforts in Latin America: three amphibious assault ships, two destroyers, a cruiser, and a littoral combat ship in the Caribbean, in addition to a destroyer in the eastern Pacific, according to a U.S. defense official this week. The U.S. Department of Defense, which Trump on Friday signed an executive order changing its name to the "Department of War," considered that the flight of two aircraft belonging to the "Maduro regime" near the U.S. ship on Thursday was a "highly provocative step intended to interfere with counter-narcotics and counter-terrorism operations conducted by the U.S. military." The ministry did not provide further details. Venezuela has 15 F-16 fighters purchased from the United States in the 1980s, in addition to a number of Russian fighters and helicopters.
