U.S. Navy raids tuna boat in Caribbean, Venezuela says, as tensions escalate

CARACAS, Venezuela — Personnel from a U.S. warship boarded a Venezuelan tuna boat with nine fishermen while it was sailing in Venezuelan waters, Venezuela’s foreign minister said Saturday, underlining strained relations with the United States.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Tensions between the two nations escalated after President Trump in August ordered the deployment of warships in the Caribbean off Venezuela, citing the fight against Latin American drug cartels.

While reading a statement Saturday, Foreign Minister Yván Gil told journalists the tuna boat was “illegally and hostilely boarded by a United States Navy destroyer” and 18 armed American personnel who remained on the vessel for eight hours, preventing communication and the fishermen’s normal activities. The fishermen were then released under escort by the Venezuelan navy.

The fishing boat had authorization from the Ministry of Fisheries to carry out its work, Gil said at a news conference.

Along with the statement, Venezuela’s Foreign Ministry distributed a short video, which it said was taken by the fishermen. The ministry said it shows part of the fishing boat, U.S. Navy personnel and the U.S. warship.

“Those who give the order to carry out such provocations are seeking an incident that would justify a military escalation in the Caribbean,” Gil said, claiming that the U.S. objective is to “persist in their failed policy” of regime change in Venezuela.

Gil said the incident was “illegal” and “illegitimate” and warned that Venezuela would defend its sovereignty against any “provocation.”

The Venezuelan foreign minister’s complaint comes days after the U.S. attacked what it called a drug-laden vessel, killing 11 people on board. Trump said the vessel had departed from Venezuela and was carrying members of the Tren de Aragua gang, but his administration has not presented any evidence to support that claim.

Venezuela accused the United States of committing extrajudicial killings in the incident. Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello said Washington’s version of the event is “a tremendous lie” and suggested that, according to Venezuelan government investigations, the incident could be linked to the disappearance of some individuals in a coastal region of the country who had no ties to drug trafficking.

The Trump administration has accused Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro of leading a cartel to flood the U.S. with drugs, and doubled the reward for his capture from $25 million to $50 million.

The U.S. government has given no indication that it plans to carry out a ground incursion with the more than 4,000 U.S. troops being deployed in the area.

But the Venezuelan government has called on its citizens to enlist in the militias — armed volunteers — in support of its security forces in the event of a potential incursion. On Saturday, it urged them to go to military barracks for training sessions.