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Two Venezuelan military officers killed in air crash

Xinhua, September 19, 2015 Adjust font size:

The Venezuelan government on Friday announced the death of two Air Force officers who were killed in an air crash Thursday night while chasing an aircraft that illegally flew in the country's airspace.

President Nicolas Maduro expressed in a Twitter post his condolences to the families of the two captains Ronald Ramirez and Jackson Garcia, who complied with a mission to bring down a plane destined for drug trafficking.

"Our Air Force is defending and protecting Venezuela 24 hours a day from the scourge of drug trafficking, despite the attacks by the right wing," added Maduro in another message.

Garcia and Ramirez on Thursday night piloted a Russian made Sukhoi-30 military aircraft when the accident occurred.

Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino confirmed the death of two officers and said that military authorities are investigating the causes of the accident.

"We express our solidarity, spiritual and material support to the families of these two heroes of the Venezuelan homeland, who died fulfilling the sacred duty to defend their country," said Padrino in a televised speech.

Drug trafficking airplanes frequently fly over Venezuelan airspace, which has led to over 100 aircrafts downed by the Venezuelan Air Force last year. Endi