Venezuela protests US destroyer boarding of tuna boat in its EEZ
The warship deployed 18 armed personnel who boarded the vessel for eight hours and prevented the crew from communicating.
The Government of Venezuela has condemned the boarding of a U.S. destroyer, the USS Jason Dunhan, on the Venezuelan fishing boat Carmen Rosa inside the country’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
“We denounce the illegal boarding by a United States Navy destroyer of the fishing vessel Carmen Rosa, which is operated by nine humble Venezuelan tuna fishermen in national waters,” — Foreign Minister Yván Gil, Telegram post.
Gil described the incident as “an illegal and hostile act, promoted by certain political sectors in Washington that seek to justify a war escalation in the Caribbean, a region declared a Peace Zone in 2014 by CELAC.” He added that “Venezuela strongly condemns these bellicose actions and the violation of our sovereignty.”
According to Caracas, the Venezuelan vessel was “illegally and hostilely besieged” by the U.S. destroyer, which is equipped with powerful cruise missiles and highly trained Marines, when it was 48 nautical miles northeast of La Blanquilla Island within Venezuelan EEZ waters.
The U.S. warship deployed 18 personnel armed with long‑range weapons, who boarded the fishing boat for eight hours, cutting off the crew’s ability to communicate. The Venezuelan government called the action “lacking any strategic proportionality and constituting a direct provocation” due to the “illegal use of exaggerated military means.”
Caracas alleges that the perpetrators are seeking a false‑flag incident to justify a regime‑change escalation in the Caribbean.
“The incident reflects the shameful conduct of political sectors in Washington that, irresponsibly, commit high‑cost military resources and trained soldiers as instruments to manufacture war adventures, also attacking their own prestige and military honor by executing this grotesque and disproportionate maneuver,” — Gil.
The Bolivarian National Armed Forces monitored the operation minute by minute, recording it with overflights to deter the U.S. aggression and protect Venezuelan fishermen.
Venezuela demands the “immediate cessation” of such operations, warning that they “endanger peace and stability in the Caribbean.” It also urges the U.S. public to recognize the danger of these maneuvers ordered by their government and to reject “the use of their soldiers as sacrificial pieces to sustain the desires of a greedy and predatory elite.”
What Is an Exclusive Economic Zone?
An Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) is a maritime area extending up to 200 nautical miles from a country’s baseline. Within this zone, the coastal state holds sovereign rights for the exploration, exploitation, and conservation of natural resources, as well as jurisdiction over economic and scientific activities. Other states may navigate and overfly the EEZ freely, but they cannot exploit its resources without permission.
Context
The boarding adds to a recent surge of U.S. naval deployments in Caribbean waters. Last week, U.S. forces bombed a suspected narco‑boat in an unprecedented attack that left eleven dead, further heightening regional tensions.