Venezuela Downs 2 Illegal Planes

Venezuela has shot down a pair of planes that entered its airspace without authorization over the weekend, the country's military says; they were allegedly carrying smuggled drugs. The attacks mark the first time planes have been shot down following the approval of a bill this month allowing the move, the BBC reports. A military leader says one plane was downed after "all other means of persuasion had been exhausted"; another was hit after reportedly trying to land illegally in the jungle. "These are drug-trafficking mafias which intend to use our country as a platform for drug distribution, trespassing our airspace," says an anti-drug official. (Read more Venezuela stories.)