Originally published on October 22, 2013 <br /><br />The Venezuelan Air Force shot down two planes suspected of drug trafficking over the weekend after they ignored orders to land.<br /><br />According to local reports, the actions occurred in a remote area of the southern state of Apure, about 350 km south of Caracas, near the border with Colombia.<br /><br />The aircrafts were allegedly smuggling drugs from Central America and refused to follow orders from military pilots.<br /><br />Both planes were intercepted and taken down by F-16s.<br /><br />According to the BBC, earlier this month, a bill was approved to authorize such actions against illegal planes. <br /><br />The second plane was taken down after he allegedly evaded the authorities' order by trying to land on an illegal airstrip in the jungle.<br /><br />The photo of one of the destroyed planes was posted on Twitter by the head of the National Anti-Drugs Agency, Alejandro Keleris Bucarito. <br /><br />The BBC quoted him as saying "These are drug trafficking mafias which intend to use our country as a platform for drug distribution, trespassing our airspace," <br /><br />Both accidents show the Venezuelan government's efforts to prevent drug-trafficking flights over its airspace since President Maduro issued a public warning to drug smugglers, the BBC reported. <br /><br />In 2013, a total of 11 unauthorised planes have been disabled on the ground by the Venezuelan Air Force.
