An American warship in the Caribbean Sea navigated into waters the US Navy says are illegitimately claimed by Caracas.

A US Navy ship has navigated near the Venezuelan coast in what the US military’s Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) called a “freedom of navigation operation,” a day after a cargo ship from US foe Iran docked at a port of the South American country.

In a post on its website, SOUTHCOM said the USS Nitze, a missile destroyer, sailed in an area outside Venezuela’s territorial waters – which extend some 12 nautical miles (22km) from its coasts – but within an area the Venezuelan government “falsely claims to have control over”.

“The United States will continue to fly, sail and operate wherever international law allows, preserving the rights, freedoms and lawful use of the sea and airspace guaranteed to all nations,” Admiral Craig Faller, SOUTHCOM commander, said in the statement on Tuesday.

Read more at Aljazeera.com

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Edited by Jesus Chan

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