WASHINGTON — US President Donald Trump warned Friday that Venezuelan military aircraft approaching US naval vessels in the Caribbean would be “shot down.”

“I would say they’re going to be in trouble. We’ll let them know about that ... if they fly in a dangerous position,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. His remarks followed an incident Thursday in which two Venezuelan F-16 fighter jets flew near a US warship in the Caribbean Sea.

The US Defense Department described the maneuver as “highly provocative” and cautioned Caracas against interfering with US counter-narcotics and counter-terror operations.

Trump stressed Washington’s resolve to stop drug trafficking from Venezuela and elsewhere.

“We don’t want drugs coming in from Venezuela or anybody else, or any place else, so we’ll be tough on that,” he said.

When asked if the United States was pursuing regime change in Venezuela, Trump replied, “Well, we’re not talking about that, but we are talking about the fact that you had an election, which was a very strange election. To put it mildly, I’m being very nice when I say that.”

He also alleged that Venezuelan prisons “have been opened up to our country,” claiming that members of the Tren de Aragua transnational criminal organization had entered the US.

Trump previously signed an executive order authorizing increased use of military force against Latin American drug cartels.

Following his directive, a US naval group — including seven warships and a submarine — was deployed to Caribbean waters near Venezuela on Aug. 28. — Agencies