Trump warns Venezuelan jets will be 'shot down' if they threaten US forces

The Trump administration has ordered the deployment of 10 F-35 fighter jets to a Puerto Rico airfield to conduct operations against drug cartels, sources told Reuters, Report informs.  

The new deployment comes on top of an already bristling US military presence in the southern Caribbean as Trump carries out a campaign pledge to crack down on groups funneling drugs into the United States.  

The disclosure about the F-35s came just hours after the Pentagon accused Venezuela of a "highly provocative" flight on Thursday by fighter jets near a US Navy warship.  

Trump warned Venezuela that the US military had authorization to shoot down the jets if commanders believed they needed to, saying: "If they do put us in a dangerous position, they'll be shot down."