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US Navy aircraft violates Venezuela's airspace
(Agencies)
Updated: 2008-05-20 10:01 The incident came against a backdrop of tensions between Venezuela and Colombia and the United States. Last week they said an Interpol probe into rebel document proved Chavez has links to Colombian guerrillas. Chavez rejected the investigation and said he was reviewing ties and trade with Colombia because of the accusations. A US defense official said the plane was a Viking S-3, a jet often used in anti-drugs operations to track and attack boats. Chavez frequently accuses the United States and Colombia of plotting to invade Venezuela, one of the largest oil exporters to the United States. Colombia specifically denied Chavez's charge over the weekend that 60 Colombian soldiers strayed some 500 yards (460 meters) into Venezuelan territory on Friday. The jet in Saturday's incident belongs to the Joint Interagency Task Force South, an anti-drugs operation based in Florida. It was on a mission from the Caribbean island of Curacao, a US official said. Curacao is a former Dutch colony that the United States uses for military training. |
