The Pentagon has posted images of the interception of one of its reconnaissance aircraft by a Venezuelan military aviation aircraft over the Caribbean Sea.

According to the US Department of Defense, a Venezuelan Su-30 fighter intercepted an American Navy Aries II EP-3 in international airspace “in an unprofessional manner” and ” aggressively tracked ” an “unsafe distance” for the crew and the aircraft.

Showing images of the incident, the US Army said on Sunday that the interception occurred on July 19 on the Caribbean Sea.

In a statement, Washington accuses Russia of the incident because the Russian-made hunt, and claims that this action demonstrates Russia’s irresponsible military support to the Nicolas Maduro government.

“This demonstrates action #Russia’s military irresponsible to support illegitimate system’s of Maduro & underscores’s recklessness & irresponsible behavior, Which rule of law undermines Int’l & efforts to counter illicit trafficking,” the US Southern Command said in a delusional tweet.

However, these fighters were acquired in the mid-2000s, under the presidency of Hugo Chavez.

The Venezuelan government reported that it had responded to an “incursion of a US reconnaissance and intelligence aircraft” (capable of interfering with communication systems), which violated the national airspace in a “frank provocation to the country” near Caracas .

Images of the incident were also shared by the Venezuelan military . During the interception, there was no physical contact between aircraft.

According to the information presented on the website of the Venezuelan government, an American EP-3E ARIES II radio-electronic intelligence and exploration aircraft entered Venezuelan airspace.

According to Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López, the US aircraft entered Venezuelan airspace “without an aeronautical frequency report … constituting an aircraft risk for other aircraft.”

In addition, during a televised ceremony the minister explained that “things like this happen almost every day” in the Venezuelan seas and skies.

Caracas has 24 Su-30 fighters purchased from Russia and plans to acquire another 12 units under the military-technical cooperation with Moscow. </s> A U.S. Navy intelligence aircraft was "aggressively shadowed" by a Venezuelan fighter jet over the Caribbean Sea on Friday in a move that U.S. officials are calling "unprofessional" and endangered the safety of those on board.

The U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) said Sunday in a news release that a U.S. Navy EP-3 Aries II aircraft was flying a mission in international airspace when it was approached "in an unprofessional manner" by the Venezuelan SU-30 Flanker fighter plane.

"After reviewing video documentation, we have determined the Russian-made fighter aggressively shadowed the EP-3 at an unsafe distance in international airspace for a prolonged period of time, endangering the safety of the crew and jeopardizing the EP-3 mission," SOUTHCOM said in a statement.

SOUTHCOM said that the U.S. "routinely conducts regionally-supported, multi-nationally recognized and approved detection and monitoring missions in the region to ensure the safety and security of our citizens and those of our partners."

The EP-3 aircraft was "adhering to international standards and rules" at the time of the incident, SOUTHCOM said.

SOUTHCOM also shared a video of how close the Venezuelan fighter jet got to the Navy plane on Twitter.

The Navy plane, an EP-3 aircraft is generally used by the Navy for anti-Submarine warfare and anti-surface warfare and has a range of 2,380 nautical miles, according to a Navy fact sheet.

The incident underscored rising tensions between the two nations. The U.S. backs opposition leader Juan Guaido's attempt to oust President Nicolas Maduro.

Venezuelan officials claimed the aircraft entered Venezuelan airspace without notification and was "a clear provocation” in addition to being in violation of international treaties. Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino said on Twitter the incident happened around midday on Friday, and created a safety risk for commercial aircraft from the country's main airport.

The Venezuelan Operational Strategic Command also shared a map of where the incident took place.

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SOUTHCOM said that the "unprofessional" act demonstrated a continued action by the Maduro regime to "undermine internationally-recognized laws and demonstrate its contempt for international agreements authorizing the U.S. and other nations to safely conduct flights in international airspace."

"Despite the Venezuelan people’s suffering, his nation’s vital infrastructure crumbling, and children starving, Maduro chooses to use his country’s precious resources to engage in unprovoked and unjustified acts," SOUTHCOM said.

SOUTHCOM added the action by Venezuela "demonstrates Russia’s irresponsible military support to the illegitimate Maduro regime and adds to Maduro’s growing legacy of reckless and negligent behavior, which undermines international rule of law and efforts to counter illicit trafficking."

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The incident over the Caribbean Sea came just over a month after a Russian fighter jet buzzed a U.S. Navy reconnaissance plane over the Mediterranean Sea three times in what the Navy called an "irresponsible" manner. The U.S. P-8A Poseidon aircraft was flying in international airspace on June 4 at the time of the intercepts, Navy officials added.

The Russian SU-35 "conducting a high-speed pass directly in front of the mission aircraft" that caused turbulence "put our pilots and crew at risk," according to a statement from the Navy’s 6th Fleet. The entire encounter lasted almost 3 hours and the U.S. plane was not trying to "provoke this Russian activity."

Fox News' Vandana Rambaran and Lucas Tomlinson contributed to this report. </s> The United States Southern Command criticized Russia as it released images Sunday of a Venezuelan fighter jet it said "aggressively shadowed" a U.S. reconnaissance aircraft flying over the Caribbean last week.

Details: The Russian-made SU-30 Flanker approached the U.S. Navy EP-3 Aries II "at an unsafe distance" in international airspace and in an "unprofessional manner" on Friday, the United States Southern Command said in a statement.

The other side: Venezuela’s Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López said the American plane entered Venezuelan airspace without earlier notification, violating international rules and endangering commercial flights from the country’s main airport, according to the Washington Post.

The big picture: The incident comes amid a months-long power struggle between Maduro and Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó, who has the support of the U.S. — which has imposed sanctions on the country in an attempt to pressure Maduro to step down. </s> The U.S. military on Sunday accused a Venezuelan fighter aircraft of “aggressively” shadowing a U.S. Navy EP-3 Aries II plane over international airspace, a fresh sign of growing hostility between the two countries.

The encounter between the two planes occurred on Friday, the same day that the Trump administration announced it was imposing sanctions on four top officials in Venezuela‘s military counterintelligence agency.

READ MORE: Venezuelan opposition set to meet with Maduro envoys for mediated talks in Barbados

In a statement issued Sunday, the U.S. military said that it had determined the “Russian-made fighter aggressively shadowed the EP-3 at an unsafe distance in international airspace for a prolonged period of time, endangering the safety of the crew and jeopardizing the EP-3 mission.”

The two planes did not collide and no one was hurt in the incident.

The U.S. military did not give details of the EP-3’s mission nor say where the encounter took place.

In a statement published on Sunday by Venezuela‘s government, the South American country’s armed forces said they rejected “the incursion of a U.S. reconnaissance and intelligence aircraft” in the flight area surrounding Maiquetia airport, which serves the capital city of Caracas.

The U.S. aircraft was detected in Venezuelan airspace on Friday morning and did not report its presence to local authorities, the statement said, adding that it posed a risk to other planes in the area.

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At 11.33 a.m. local time two Venezuelan fighter jets intercepted the aircraft and it was escorted out of Venezuela‘s airspace, the statement said.

U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration has repeatedly used sanctions in an effort to oust Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, whose 2018 re-election has been deemed illegitimate by the United States and most Western nations.

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Maduro has retained the backing of Venezuela‘s military and other institutions, as well as China, Russia and Cuba.

“The Maduro regime continues to undermine internationally recognized laws and demonstrate its contempt for international agreements authorizing the U.S. and other nations to safely conduct flights in international airspace,” the U.S. military said in a statement.

The statement also took a swing at Russia, saying the close encounter in the air “demonstrates Russia’s irresponsible military support to the illegitimate Maduro regime.” </s> A Venezuelan Su-30 fighter plane "aggressively shadowed" a U.S. reconnaissance aircraft operating over the Caribbean Sea, according to U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), in a move the U.S. is calling "unprofessional."

In a series of tweets on Sunday, SOUTHCOM said the Venezuelan fighter, which took off from an airfield 200 miles east of Caracas on Friday, "'aggressively shadowed' a U.S. EP-3 at an unsafe distance...jeopardizing the crew and aircraft."

"The EP-3 was performing a multi-nationally recognized and approved mission in international airspace" over the Caribbean Sea, SOUTHCOM added.

Venezuela has purchased military aircraft, including the Su-30, from Russia. U.S. officials have previously accused Moscow of propping up Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro amid the ongoing economic and humanitarian crisis there.

SOUTHCOM said the action of the Venezuelan fighter on Friday "demonstrates Russia's irresponsible military support to Maduro's illegitimate regime and underscores Maduro's recklessness and irresponsible behavior, which undermines international rule of law and efforts to counter illicit trafficking."

These types of interactions between U.S. and Venezuelan aircraft are far less common than those between U.S. and Russian aircraft. While most intercepts are safe and professional interactions, the U.S. military will highlight those it deems unsafe or unprofessional.

Last month, a U.S. P-8A Poseidon reconnaissance aircraft experienced an "unsafe" and "irresponsible" intercept by a Russian fighter jet over international waters, the U.S. Navy's Sixth Fleet said.

The P-8A was intercepted by a Russian SU-35 "three times over the course of 175 minutes" over the Mediterranean Sea, the Sixth Fleet said. While "the first and third interactions were deemed safe," the second "was determined to be unsafe due to the SU-35 conducting a high-speed pass directly in front of the mission aircraft, which put our pilots and crew at risk." </s> This article is more than 1 month old

This article is more than 1 month old

The US military on Sunday accused a Venezuelan fighter aircraft of “aggressively” shadowing a US navy EP-3 Aries II plane over international airspace, a fresh sign of growing hostility between the two countries.

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The encounter occurred on Friday, the day the Trump administration announced it was imposing sanctions on four top officials in Venezuela’s military counterintelligence agency.

In a statement issued Sunday, the US military said it had determined the “Russian-made fighter aggressively shadowed the EP-3 at an unsafe distance in international airspace for a prolonged period of time, endangering the safety of the crew and jeopardizing the EP-3 mission”.

The two planes did not collide and no one was hurt.

The US military did not give details of the EP-3’s mission or say where the encounter took place.

In a statement published by Venezuela’s government, the South American country’s armed forces said they rejected “the incursion of a US reconnaissance and intelligence aircraft” in the flight area surrounding Maiquetia airport, which serves the capital, Caracas.

The US aircraft was detected in Venezuelan airspace on Friday morning and did not report its presence to local authorities, the statement said, adding that it posed a risk to other planes in the area.

At 11.33am local time two Venezuelan fighter jets intercepted the aircraft and it was escorted out of Venezuela’s airspace, the statement said.

Donald Trump’s administration has repeatedly used sanctions in an effort to oust Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro, whose 2018 re-election has been deemed illegitimate by the US and most western nations.

Maduro has retained the backing of Venezuela’s military and other institutions, as well as China, Russia and Cuba.

“The Maduro regime continues to undermine internationally recognized laws and demonstrate its contempt for international agreements authorizing the US and other nations to safely conduct flights in international airspace,” the US military said.

The statement also took a swing at Russia, saying the close encounter in the air “demonstrates Russia’s irresponsible military support to the illegitimate Maduro regime”. </s> A Venezuelan fighter jet “aggressively shadowed” an American intelligence plane in international airspace, according to US authorities who on Sunday blamed Russia’s “irresponsible military support” of the “illegitimate regime.”

The US military on Sunday released video and still images that it says shows the SU-30 Flanker “at an unsafe distance” from a US EP-3 aircraft, “jeopardizing the crew & aircraft” over the Caribbean sea.

It happened Friday — the same day that the Trump administration announced it was sanctioning four top officials in Venezuela’s military counterintelligence agency.

The US Southern Command insisted that the US plane was targeted while it was “performing a multi-nationally recognized & approved mission in international airspace” over the Caribbean.

The military said in a statement that the “Russian-made fighter aggressively shadowed the EP-3 at an unsafe distance in international airspace for a prolonged period of time, endangering the safety of the crew and jeopardizing the EP-3 mission.”

In a series of two posts on Twitter, the southern command, which oversees military activities in the Caribbean, also attacked Vladimir Putin for supporting Venezuala’s leader, Nicolas Maduro.

“This action demonstrates #Russia’s irresponsible military support to Maduro’s illegitimate regime & underscores Maduro’s recklessness & irresponsible behavior, which undermines int’l rule of law & efforts to counter illicit trafficking,” it tweeted.

Venezuela’s Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez says the US plane entered Venezuelan airspace without prior notification and endangered commercial flights from the country’s main airport. </s> Image of a Venezuela SU-30 Flanker as it aggressively shadowed a U.S. EP-3 Aries II at an unsafe distance in international airspace over the Caribbean Sea on July 19, 2019, jeopardizing the crew and aircraft.

(ABC News) A Venezuelan Su-30 fighter plane “aggressively shadowed” a U.S. reconnaissance aircraft operating over the Caribbean Sea, according to U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), in a move the U.S. is calling “unprofessional.”

In a series of tweets on Sunday, SOUTHCOM said the Venezuelan fighter, which took off from an airfield 200 miles east of Caracas on Friday, “‘aggressively shadowed’ a U.S. EP-3 at an unsafe distance…jeopardizing the crew and aircraft.”ADVERTISEMENT(MORE: US Navy hospital ship begins 5-month deployment to help Venezuela refugees)

“The EP-3 was performing a multi-nationally recognized and approved mission in international airspace” over the Caribbean Sea, SOUTHCOM added.

Venezuela’s defense minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez said on Saturday that the U.S. aircraft entered a flight region controlled by Venezuela without reporting necessary information, breaking with international regulations.

Venezuela has purchased military aircraft, including the Su-30, from Russia. U.S. officials have previously accused Moscow of propping up Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro amid the ongoing economic and humanitarian crisis there.

SOUTHCOM said the action of the Venezuelan fighter on Friday “demonstrates Russia’s irresponsible military support to Maduro’s illegitimate regime and underscores Maduro’s recklessness and irresponsible behavior, which undermines international rule of law and efforts to counter illicit trafficking.”

1 of 2 JUST RELEASED #Venezuela SU-30 Flanker “aggressively shadowed” a U.S. EP-3 aircraft at an unsafe distance July 19, jeopardizing the crew & aircraft. The EP-3 was performing a multi-nationally recognized & approved mission in international airspace over #CaribbeanSea.2,9108:25 AM – Jul 21, 2019Twitter Ads info and privacy3,627 people are talking about this

2 of 2: This action demonstrates #Russia’s irresponsible military support to Maduro’s illegitimate regime & underscores Maduro’s recklessness & irresponsible behavior, which undermines int’l rule of law & efforts to counter illicit trafficking. Pics & vids https://www.dvidshub.net/search/?q=Venezuela+SU-30+Flanker+Aggressively+Shadows+a+U.S.+EP-3+Aircraft&view=grid …

1,6238:29 AM – Jul 21, 2019Twitter Ads info and privacy2,003 people are talking about this

These types of interactions between U.S. and Venezuelan aircraft are far less common than those between U.S. and Russian aircraft. While most intercepts are safe and professional interactions, the U.S. military will highlight those it deems unsafe or unprofessional.(MORE: For 2nd day in a row, US military jets intercept Russian bombers off Alaska)

Last month, a U.S. P-8A Poseidon reconnaissance aircraft experienced an “unsafe” and “irresponsible” intercept by a Russian fighter jet over international waters, the U.S. Navy’s Sixth Fleet said.

The P-8A was intercepted by a Russian SU-35 “three times over the course of 175 minutes” over the Mediterranean Sea, the Sixth Fleet said. While “the first and third interactions were deemed safe,” the second “was determined to be unsafe due to the SU-35 conducting a high-speed pass directly in front of the mission aircraft, which put our pilots and crew at risk.” </s> (CNN) The US military has flown an increased number of reconnaissance flights in international airspace off the coast of Venezuela during the last several days to gather classified intelligence about the embattled government of President Nicholas Maduro, according to two US defense officials.

The officials would not detail which US military aircraft are being used, but the Navy and Air Force maintain several large fixed-wing aircraft capable of intercepting communications and monitoring the status of weaponry.

The officials noted that the effort is limited to whatever the aircraft can gather by staying in international airspace.

Several US military officials continue to emphasize there are no military options actively being considered for the Venezuela crisis. For now, the US military would only contemplate a response if US assets, personnel or the embassy were attacked.

Venezuela is in crisis as self-proclaimed interim president Juan Guaido battles Maduro for control.

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The Venezuelan military reports that on Friday, an American Naval reconnaissance plane entered its national airspace, threatening flights to Maiquetia Airport; the United States asserts that their aircraft was over international waters in the Caribbean on an approved mission. The US plane was followed for a prolonged time by a Venezuelan fighter.