Caracas on Saturday accused the US of raiding a Venezuelan fishing boat while in Venezuelan waters, underscoring the rising tensions in the region.
The allegation comes days after President Donald Trump said US forces struck a vessel carrying drug cartel members; Caracas has said none of the 11 people killed in the attack were in the cartel.
Trump first ordered warships to the Caribbean in August, and American fighter jets landed in Puerto Rico on Saturday.
Washington’s increased military presence in the region is likely at the urging of US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who has long pushed the US to pursue cartels more aggressively and has “cast himself as a top general in that war,” The New York Times noted.