U.S. Rejects Caracas’s Claim It Breached Venezuelan Airspace
- Military says U.S. jet over international waters when shadowed
- Incident may further roil tense U.S.-Venezuela relations
Vladimir Padrino Lopez, Venezuela's defense minister, speaks during a press conference in Caracas.
Photographer: Carlos Becerra/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
The U.S. military rejected Venezuela’s claim that a U.S. intelligence aircraft flew over the South American nation’s airspace on Friday, saying the American jet was over international waters and had been “aggressively shadowed.”
The U.S. Southern Command said Sunday on Twitter that the U.S. EP-3 “was performing a multi-nationally recognized & approved” mission when shadowed “at an unsafe distance” by a Venezuelan SU-30 Flanker, “jeopardizing the crew & aircraft.” Video of the incident was attached.