A Venezuelan fighter jet harassed a US Navy surveillance plane over international waters, the US Southern Command (Southcom) has revealed.

The Russian-made Venezuelan jet took off from an airfield 200 miles east of Caracas on Friday, according to information released by Southcom. It approached the US Navy EP-3 Aries II over the Caribbean Sea.

“Venezuela SU-30 Flanker ‘aggressively shadowed’ a US EP-3 aircraft at an unsafe distance July 19, jeopardising the crew and aircraft,” Southcom said in tweets on Sunday. “The EP-3 was performing a multi-nationally recognised and approved mission in international airspace over Caribbean Sea.”

“This action demonstrates Russia’s irresponsible military support to Maduro's illegitimate regime and underscores Maduro’s recklessness and irresponsible behaviour,” the tweets continued, “which undermines international rule of law and efforts to counter illicit trafficking.”

SOUTHCOM said in a statement that it determined the Russian-made jet had acted inappropriately after reviewing video documentation, which was shared publicly.

“The U.S. routinely conducts multi-nationally recognised and approved detection and monitoring missions in the region to ensure the safety and security of our citizens and those of our partners,” the statement said.

The Southern Command’s tweets refer to Russia’s backing of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s amid US-imposed sanctions, as the US and other countries support Juan Guaidó, the country’s opposition leader.

In response to the US announcement, Vladimir Padrino, the Defence Minister of Venezuela, said the encounter occurred after an EP-3 with radio-electronic reconnaissance capabilities and anti-submarine warfare capabilities was "intercepted" within Venezuela's Exclusive Economic Zone, according to Reuters. He added that there have been dozens of similar “incursions."

Venezuela aid protests: Civilians demand food and medicine Show all 5 1 /5 Venezuela aid protests: Civilians demand food and medicine Venezuela aid protests: Civilians demand food and medicine Demonstrators push a bus that was torched during clashes with the Bolivarian National Guard AP Venezuela aid protests: Civilians demand food and medicine Demonstrators are seen through the cracked windshield of a torched bus AP Venezuela aid protests: Civilians demand food and medicine A woman moves away from the flames of a burning bus AP Venezuela aid protests: Civilians demand food and medicine A bus that was torched during clashes with the Bolivarian National Guard AP Venezuela aid protests: Civilians demand food and medicine Demonstrators push away a bus that was torched during clashes AP