BOGOTA – Colombian naval units rescued 11 people aboard a Venezuelan-flagged boat that ran out of fuel while crossing the Caribbean, the military said Friday.

The crew of a Colombian air force plane spotted the stranded vessel on Thursday during a routine surveillance flight over the country’s territorial waters.

The Polo was marooned about 50 nautical miles from Punta Gallinas, a town on the La Guajira peninsula, the air force said in a statement.

The air force advised the naval station in Puerto Bolivar, which dispatched a rescue team with water and food for the travelers.

Port authority officials in Puerto Bolivia are working with the Colombian navy and the boat’s owners to resolve the problem, the air force said.

The Polo was traveling from the Dominican Republic to Punto Fijo, Venezuela. EFE