Briefly

VENEZUELA

US warship accused of seizing fishing vessel

Venezuela on Saturday accused a United States Navy destroyer of illegally intercepting a Venezuelan fishing boat operating in the country's exclusive economic zone. The government said the vessel Carmen Rosa, crewed by nine fishermen, was approached on Friday about 48 nautical miles northeast of La Blanquilla island by USS Jason Dunham. Foreign Minister Yvan Gil said 18 armed personnel from the US destroyer boarded and occupied the fishing boat for eight hours, blocking its communications and obstructing normal operations. Gil criticized the move as "a provocation through the illegal use of military means, aimed at justifying a war escalation in the Caribbean and pushing for regime change".