Above photo: Sukhoi Su-30MK2 fighter jets of the Venezuelan Air Force in flight. FANB/File photo.
Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino has reported this Thursday, October 2, that at least five US F-35 fighter jets have flown over the Caribbean Sea near the Venezuelan border, an action described as a provocation and a threat to national security.
Hours later, the Venezuelan Ministries of Defense and Foreign Affairs released a joint communiqué formally condemning the incursion, which it said occurred approximately 75 kilometers (about 47 miles) off the Venezuelan coast within the Maiquetía Flight Information Region (FIR).
“We have detected within the Venezuelan Comprehensive Defense System […] more than five vectors with flight characteristics of 400 knots and flying at an altitude of 35,000 feet,” Padrino said during a briefing. “What does that indicate? They are combat aircraft that US imperialism has dared to bring close to Venezuelan shores.”
He identified the aircraft as F-35s based in Puerto Rico and operating as part of Washington’s regional “war on drugs” deployment. “We’re watching them, I want you to know,” he asserted. “And I want you to know that this doesn’t intimidate us, it doesn’t intimidate the people of Venezuela.” He described the incident as “an act of rudeness,” “a provocation,” and “a threat to the security of the nation.”
‘Calculation errors’
Minister Padrino urged the White House to “carefully consider its actions,” warning that its “miscalculations” could lead to a global conflict. He cited historical examples where powerful armies, such as those of Spain, the US empire, and Nazi Germany, were defeated by determined forces.
“Do not make a miscalculation when you decide to militarily attack the people of Venezuela,” he warned. “Don’t make that mistake. Think carefully, investigate thoroughly, and understand the national spirit.” He added that the US colonial government has repeatedly failed in its attempts at regime change by failing to account for the loyalty of the Bolivarian National Armed Force and popular resistance.
Official communiqué
The official statement from the Venezuelan government said the maneuver, identified by the Integrated Aerospace Defense Command (CODAI), “constitutes a provocation that threatens national sovereignty and violates the norms of international law.”
It stated the action “seriously jeopardized the operational safety of civil and commercial aviation in the Caribbean Sea,” a point corroborated by a sighting from the Colombian airline Avianca. The communique framed the incident as part of “a pattern of harassment that cannot be tolerated.”
Venezuela said it would submit the complaint to the United Nations Secretary-General, the Security Council, the International Civil Aviation Organization, and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States.
“The Bolivarian Government will not accept intimidation or aggression from any foreign power and will fully exercise its right to defend national sovereignty,” the statement concluded. “The Bolivarian National Armed Force will remain on permanent alert.”
Below, you can read the full unofficial translation of the Venezuelan statement:
The Ministries of People’s Power for Defense and Foreign Affairs of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela strongly denounce and reject the illegal incursion of United States combat aircraft detected on October 2, 2025, approximately 75 kilometers off our coast, within the Maiquetía Flight Information Region (FIR).
This maneuver, identified by the Integrated Aerospace Defense Command (CODAI), constitutes a provocation that threatens national sovereignty and violates the norms of international law and the Chicago Convention on International Civil Aviation.
This action seriously jeopardized the operational safety of civil and commercial aviation in the Caribbean Sea; the incident was also sighted by the Colombian airline Avianca, adding to the official CODAI detection. This serious report adds to other similar illegal incursions previously reported and already denounced by the Venezuelan government, which constitutes a pattern of harassment that cannot be tolerated.
In this regard, the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela demands that the United States Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, immediately cease his reckless, adventurous, and warmongering stance, which seeks to undermine the Zone of Peace in Latin America and the Caribbean and endangers regional stability.
The Venezuelan government will submit this complaint to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, the Security Council, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) so that the necessary measures can be taken to prevent the recurrence of these illegal and dangerous actions.
Venezuela reiterates that it will not accept intimidation or aggression from any foreign power and will fully exercise its right to defend national sovereignty, in accordance with international law. The Bolivarian National Armed Force will remain on permanent alert with its Integrated Aerospace Defense System.
