Pentagon Complains Venezuelan Su-30 “Endangered” Its Spy Plane Mission…Off the Coast of Venezuela
And blames Russia for it
A U.S. Navy EP-3 Aries II reconnaissance aircraft, was approached in an “unprofessional manner” by a Venezuelan SU-30 Flanker-C fighter aircraft in “approved international airspace” on Friday according to a U.S. Southern Command statement released Sunday.
1 of 2 JUST RELEASED #Venezuela SU-30 Flanker “aggressively shadowed” a U.S. EP-3 aircraft at an unsafe distance July 19, jeopardizing the crew & aircraft. The EP-3 was performing a multi-nationally recognized & approved mission in international airspace over #CaribbeanSea. pic.twitter.com/edjmPqXbmP
— U.S. Southern Command (@Southcom) July 21, 2019
2 of 2: This action demonstrates #Russia’s irresponsible military support to Maduro's illegitimate regime & underscores Maduro’s recklessness & irresponsible behavior, which undermines int’l rule of law & efforts to counter illicit trafficking. Pics & vids https://t.co/848FdmAeaE pic.twitter.com/1W9syCd1xs
— U.S. Southern Command (@Southcom) July 21, 2019
“After reviewing video documentation, we have determined the Russian-made fighter aggressively shadowed the EP-3 at an unsafe distance in international airspace for a prolonged period of time, endangering the safety of the crew and jeopardizing the EP-3 mission,” the release said.
The U.S. aircraft “was performing a multi-nationally recognized & approved mission in international airspace over #CaribbeanSea,” Southern Command tweeted earlier today.
The Venezuelan fighter “took off from an airfield 200 miles east of Caracas,” but the release didn’t specify how long the intercept lasted.
The United States, allies and regional partners routinely patrol the Caribbean Sea with ships and aircraft on counter-drug missions. Intercepts of U.S. aircraft have happened more frequently overseas near Russia and China, and are relatively uncommon so close to the U.S. homeland.
Southern Command did not detail if this EP-3 Aries was looking for drug smugglers or if its purpose was to monitor Venezuela while tensions with the regime of embattled President Nicolás Maduro continue to simmer.
The Maduro “regime continues to undermine internationally recognized laws and demonstrate its contempt for international agreements” and its “unprovoked and unjustified acts” are undermining the ability of “the U.S. and other nations to safely conduct flights in international airspace,” Southern Command stated.
Southern Command’s release also took a swipe at Russia, which has continued supporting Maduro despite National Assembly President Juan Guaidó declaration in January that he’s the South American country’s legitimate leader.
In the past months, most governments in the Western Hemisphere, including the United States, have recognized Guaidó’s rule.
Maduro continues to draw support from nations such as Cuba, China and Russia.
As recently as last month, Russia buzzed a U.S. P-8A Poseidon over the Mediterranean in a similar incident.
“This latest action also demonstrates Russia’s irresponsible military support to the illegitimate Maduro regime and adds to Maduro’s growing legacy of reckless and negligent behavior, which undermines international rule of law and efforts to counter illicit trafficking.” Southern Command’s release said.
Source: The Navy Times
It is extremely laughable to say the least. Have we seen a Venezuelan spy aircraft near the American sky yet? Yanks, you are not welcome anywhere on this PLANET except your satellite nations so just fuck off of other people’s territorial waters/air and land space.
Well, then US, just keep your spy planes – and all other military ones – out of the neighborhood….what would that plane be doing there anyway…???The US has no business being near the Venezuelan coast…and drugs? They should be monitoring their own coastlines for those, not another country’s….The US just can’t keep their military at bay until a crisis…they have to make one so those expensive planes have some reason for being..Evil and Rogue
Perhaps Venezuelan should write out in large letters on all their beaches, YANKEE GO HOME!
That way the Rat’s minions from Washington DC could see the messages from their spy planes, understand they are not welcome.
Some Anti-Aircraft missiles bursting around their Peeping Tom Planes might help also.
Oh whine, whine, whine, poor little America, things not going your usual barbaric way recently. If you really want to counter illicit trafficking, why don’t you close down the CIA’s opium poppy plantations in Afghanistan, close down the massive Baghdad embassy in Iraq, where this opium is distributed from and where the supply of arms and wages to ISIS and their cohorts are also dispensed from.
Yankees go home….son of nitches,gays,imperialists,bullies