Venezuela's Defence Minister General Vladimir Padrino said on Thursday that five combat planes had been detected near country's coast, in what he characterized as a threat by the United States.
"They are imperialist combat planes that have dared to come close to the Venezuelan coast" Padrino said at an air base, in comments broadcast on state television, saying information about the planes had been reported to a control tower by an airline.
"The presence of these planes flying close to our Caribbean Sea is a vulgarity, a provocation, a threat to the security of the nation."
Venezuela itself flew fighter jets over US ships in a previous incident, earning the ire of US security officials.
The US has deployed a fleet of warships through the Caribbean, which Washington says is to combat drug trafficking, and has also struck several boats it claims were carrying drugs from Venezuela, killing those aboard.
(Reporting by Reuters)
