The Venezuelan government accused the U.S. Navy of illegally boarding a fishing vessel operating in the waters of its exclusive economic zone, calling the action a “direct provocation.”

Venezuela’s foreign ministry said that the incident happened on Friday, with a team of military personnel from a Navy ship — identified as the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer the USS Jason Dunham — stopping a tuna fishing boat and searching it for several hours before releasing the crew.

“The warship deployed 18 armed agents who boarded and occupied the small, harmless boat for eight hours,” the statement said.

The USS Jason Dunham is one of several warships that the U.S. Navy has moved into the southern Caribbean Sea since the start of August. The U.S. Navy has said it is engaging in anti-drug trafficking

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