Venezuelan coast guard vessels entered Guyana’s waters near Exxon Mobil Corp.’s offshore drilling site over the weekend and transmitted a radio message claiming it was patrolling a “disputed international” maritime zone.

By Mathew Cohen Venezuela's coast guard vessels allegedly entered Guyanese waters on March 1, approaching an ExxonMobil production vessel in the disputed offshore region, Guyana's President Irfaan Ali has announced.

The Venezuelan patrol ship that entered Guyana’s waters Saturday and positioned itself near a vessel contracted by Exxon Mobil Corp. in the Stabroek oil block has departed the area, according to the Guyana Defence Force.

General, the Rt Hon Patricia Scotland KC, has echoed the alarm of Dr Irfaan Ali, the President of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, after a coast guard vessel from the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela entered the waters of Guyana on 1.

Guyana and Venezuela clashed again after the former complained of incursion into its oil-rich maritime territory, which then triggered a warning from Caracas against “dangerous provocation” based on “lies”.

Guyana and Venezuela have seen heightened tensions over control of the disputed Essequibo territory, a sprawling region rich in natural resources

Guyana’s government said Saturday that a Venezuelan naval patrol ship entered its waters and approached a vessel contracted by Exxon Mobil (NYSE:XOM) in the Straboek block, according to media reports.