President Donald Trump has warned that, if Venezuelan jets fly over US naval ships and put us in a dangerous position, they'll be shot down.
His warning comes after Venezuela flew military aircraft near a US vessel off South America for the second time in two days, US officials told the BBC's US partner CBS News.
The reports follow a US strike against what Trump officials said was a drug-carrying vessel from Venezuela operated by a gang, killing 11 people.
President Nicolás Maduro has said US allegations about Venezuela are not true and that differences between the countries do not justify a military conflict.
Maduro stated: Venezuela has always been willing to talk, to engage in dialogue, but we demand respect, emphasizing diplomatic dialogue over military aggression.
When asked by reporters in the Oval Office what would happen if Venezuelan jets flew over US vessels again, Trump asserted that Venezuela would be in trouble.
Trump told his general, standing beside him, that he could do anything he wanted if the situation escalated.
Since his return to office in January, Trump has steadily intensified his anti-drug-trafficking efforts in Latin America.
Maduro has accused the US of seeking regime change through military threat.
When questioned about the comments, Trump did not delve into the political situation in Venezuela but referred to what he termed a very strange election that saw Maduro sworn in for his third term after a contested election.
Trump remarked that drugs are pouring into the US from Venezuela, claiming that members of Tren de Aragua - a gang categorized as a terrorist group in the US - were residing in the United States.
The US military has moved to bolster its forces in the southern Caribbean, including deploying additional naval vessels and thousands of US Marines and sailors to stem the drug flow.
The White House announced on Friday that the US is sending 10 F-35 fighter jets to Puerto Rico.
When asked about the military asset build-up in the Caribbean, Trump stated: I think it's just strong. We're strong on drugs. We don't want drugs killing our people.
Trump has long been a critic of Maduro, even doubling the reward for information leading to the Venezuelan leader's arrest to $50 million in August, accusing him of being one of the largest narco-traffickers in the world.
During Trump's first term, several high-ranking Venezuelan officials were charged by the US government with offences including narco-terrorism, corruption, and drug trafficking.
Maduro has rejected previous US claims of wrongdoings vehemently.
