Venezuelan Vice President Ramon Carrizales said soldiers destroyed what he called two "improvised footbridges" spanning a river running along the frontier because they were being used by drug traffickers. The makeshift wooden bridges, he added, were not official border crossings.

"There's been no aggression against Colombia," said Carrizales, noting that soldiers did not cross into Colombian territory.

But Colombia's government disagreed.

Colombia's deputy foreign minister, Clemencia Forero, said the government of Alvaro Uribe would file a complaint with the OAS and the U.N. Security Council.

Long-standing tensions between the South American neighbors have worsened in recent months over Colombia's agreement to give the United States military more access to its bases _ a deal that Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez sees as a threat to his country.

U.S. and Colombian officials say the agreement is necessary to help fight drug trafficking and rebels who benefit from the illegal trade.

Chavez claims the deal could allow the U.S. soldiers to launch a military offensive against Venezuela.