The Defense Department, in a post on X, called the move "highly provocative" and warned against further escalation from the government of Nicolas Maduro, whom the United States accuses of leading a drug cartel.

"The cartel running Venezuela is strongly advised not to pursue any further effort to obstruct, deter or interfere with counter-narcotics and counter-terror operations carried out by the US military," the Pentagon said.

Washington has deployed navy warships in the south Caribbean as tensions rise been between US President Donald Trump and Venezuelan strongman Maduro.

On Tuesday, US forces blew up an alleged drug boat in the Caribbean that Trump said belonged to a criminal organization tied to Maduro, killing 11 people.

Caracas accused Washington of committing extrajudicial killings in the attack, saying "they murdered 11 people without due process."

The attack, whose details could not be independently verified by AFP, marks a dramatic escalation by the United States, which has for decades relied on routine policing operations rather than deadly force to seize drugs.