Vice President Delcy Rodríguez described the interception as a violation of International Law and Human Rights, aimed at obstructing productive activity and economic development. Photo: Delcy Rodríguez’s Telegram channel.
Guacamaya, September 17, 2025. The Venezuelan government has filed an official complaint with the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) following the interception of a Venezuelan fishing vessel by the U.S. Navy in waters within Venezuela’s Exclusive Economic Zone. The communication, also sent to six other international bodies related to commercial fishing, described the incident as a “serious violation of national sovereignty.”
The event involved the eight-hour detention of nine fishermen aboard a Venezuelan-flagged boat named Carmen Rosa, which took place on Friday, September 12. The operation was carried out by the USS Jason Dunham (DDG-109), a U.S. Navy destroyer. The action was labeled a “direct provocation through the disproportionate use of military force.”
The complaint was made public by Executive Vice President Delcy Rodríguez, who signed the document and specified that the incident occurred approximately 48 nautical miles northeast of La Blanquilla Island, within Venezuela’s Exclusive Economic Zone. According to the report, up to eighteen armed U.S. military personnel boarded the fishing vessel and held the crew.
On Saturday, one day after the incident, Foreign Minister Yván Gil addressed the press, calling the operation an “illegal and hostile” use of force. President Nicolás Maduro described the boarding as a “disgrace” and an act of “kidnapping,” demanding an end to such military actions.
These developments unfold amid heightened tensions over the U.S. military deployment in the southern Caribbean, where Washington has stationed several warships since August, officially citing efforts to combat drug trafficking. Caracas, however, views these maneuvers as part of a provocation strategy and narrative aimed at regime change.
With this complaint, Venezuela escalates the already complex bilateral conflict to international forums, placing maritime law and the protection of economic activity at the center of the debate. Through this diplomatic move, the Maduro administration seeks global condemnation and international support against U.S. military actions.
