Venezuela on Thursday criticized what it called an "illegal incursion" by US fighter jets into an area under Venezuelan air traffic control, accusing Washington of a "provocation" that "threatens national sovereignty."

The Venezuelan government said the planes were detected 75 kilometers (46 miles) from the South American country's coastline.

Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez described the action as a "military harassment and threat" in a speech on Thursday broadcast by state television VTV.

"They are imperialist combat planes that have dared to come close to the Venezuelan coast," Padrino said.

"The presence of these planes flying close to our Caribbean Sea is a vulgarity, a provocation, a threat to the security of the nation," he added.

How are relations between the US and Venezuela?

Tensions between the United States and Venezuela remain high.

US President Donald Trump last month dispatched 10 F-35 aircraft to Puerto Rico, a US territory in the Caribbean, as part of the biggest military deployment in the area in over three decades.

He also sent eight warships and a nuclear submarine to the region as part of a stated operation to combat drug trafficking across the Caribbean to the United States.

The US has attacked several vessels from Venezuela in the Caribbean in recent weeks, killing at least 14 people, highlighting alleged drug trafficking.

These allegations have been rejected by Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.

Maduro has alleged that Washington is seeking regime change, but has also offered to have talks with US envoy Richard Grenell.

Edited by: Srinivas Mazumdaru