Venezuela shoots down aircraft with US registration number

The minister tweeted a picture of the plane after its crash: “A plane carrying drugs with an American registration number was shot down, and it illegally crossed the country’s airspace in the Zulia state.”

The Venezuelan army often shoots down unidentified planes that are believed to be illegally transporting drugs across the border.

The last such plane was shot down last July, and it was found that it also had an American registration number.

In 2013, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro authorized the shooting down of any aircraft used by the drug cartel in the country’s airspace.