In a statement, Venezuela denounced the attack on the Venezuelan ship “Carmen Rosa” by a United States (US) guided-missile destroyer in the Caribbean Sea.

«The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela denounces that, this Friday, September 12, the Venezuelan vessel “Carmen Rosa”, crewed by nine humble tuna fishermen, sailing 48 nautical miles northeast of La Blanquilla Island, in waters belonging to the Venezuelan Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), was illegally and hostilely assaulted by a United States Navy destroyer, the USS “Jason Dunham” (DDG-109), equipped with powerful cruise missiles and crewed by highly trained marines.»

The statement also details the illegal actions, which violated international law, undertaken by the U.S. missile vessel against the Venezuelan fishing crew.

The warship deployed eighteen troops with long weapons who boarded and occupied the small, harmless vessel for eight hours, impeding communication and the normal activities of the fishermen who were carrying out authorized tuna fishing. This operation lacked any strategic proportionality and constituted a direct provocation through the illegal use of excessive military means.

Likewise, the national government asserts that the assault on the Venezuelan vessel represents a clear provocation by the U.S. government to initiate a violent escalation in the Caribbean Sea against Venezuela, regardless of the human consequences this could cause.

Those ordering these provocations are seeking an incident to justify an escalation of the war in the Caribbean, in order to further their failed policy of regime change, rejected by the US people themselves. By placing their soldiers and officers as cannon fodder and risking their lives once again, they are repeating the history of other events that led to endless wars like Vietnam.

Furthermore , Venezuela reiterates that this illegal action confirms the Trump administration 's commitment to committing soldiers and weapons to justify its military attacks on Venezuelan soil.

The incident reflects the shameful conduct of political sectors in Washington, which irresponsibly commit extremely expensive military resources and trained soldiers as instruments to fabricate pretexts for military adventures, also attacking their own military prestige and honor by carrying out this grotesque and excessive maneuver.

For its part, the Bolivarian National Armed Forces (FANB) carried out monitoring and control actions via air to verify the release of the fishermen aboard the vessel “Carmen Rosa” and to take immediate action against any threat to national peace.

The Bolivarian National Armed Forces, faithful to their constitutional duty, monitored and recorded the incident minute by minute with its air, naval, and surveillance resources, accompanying the fishermen at all times until their release, demonstrating Venezuela’s full capacity to monitor, deter, and respond to any threat, without resorting to provocations that would undermine its commitment to peace.

In the statement, Venezuela demanded that the US government immediately cease these actions, which endanger the security and peace of the Caribbean. It also called on the American people to recognize the seriousness of these maneuvers and reject the use of its soldiers as sacrificial pawns to further the desires of a greedy and predatory elite.

Finally, Venezuela reiterated its commitment to peace and to defending the sovereignty and security of its waters against any imperial provocation.