Is a video of a conversation between the Venezuelan ship Guaiquerí, commanded by Capt. Yonaiker Bermúdez, and the U.S. Navy destroyer USS Jason Durham legitimate? No, that's not true: The creator of the video said on social media that it was made as a parody, adding that it had "gone around the world as if it were real." The creator later posted another video, jokingly presenting it as a second exchange between the same ship captains.
The claim appeared in a December 16, 2025 video posted on X.com account @warsurveillance (archived here). It opened:
🚨 BREAKING | 🇻🇪🇺🇸
Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro has reportedly ordered the naval patrol Guaiquerí, commanded by Captain Yonaiker Bermúdez, to move against the US Navy destroyer USS Jason Durham.
Tensions are surging fast in the Caribbean Sea. The situation is extremely volatile. 🌊🔥
This is what the video looked like on X.com at the time of writing:
(Image Source: Lead Stories screenshot from x.com/warsurveillance.)
After the video was shared on social media without any indication that it was not legitimate, the original creator responded in a post on their X account @HeverCastroB (archived here) saying it was a joke. "I made this video as a parody, and it's gone around the world as if it were real. Honestly, social media is some crazy shit. Nobody verifies anything," they wrote. A screenshot of the post is shown below:
(Image Source: Lead Stories screenshot from x.com/HeverCastroB.)
The account posted a second video (archived here) joking again, writing, with a misspelled ship name, "For those who asked me for a second part of Captain Yonaiker's conversation with the USS Jason Dunham destroyer, here it is. Here it gets a bit more serious and collaborative. Don't laugh because it's worse. 😂"
Para quienes me pidieron una segunda parte de la conversación del Capitán Yonaiker con el destructor USS Jason Dunham, acá está.
-- HevercastroB (@HeverCastroB) September 15, 2025
Acá se pone un poco más serio y colaborador.
No se rían porque es peor. 🫢😂 pic.twitter.com/YYUQN4jQEx
