It lies in the Boca Grande strait of the Bocas del Dragón (Dragon's Mouth), approximately 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) off the Paria Peninsula of mainland Venezuela and about 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) west-south-west of Chacachacare, which is part of Trinidad and Tobago.

[2][3][4] Patos Island was part of the former British colony of Trinidad and Tobago.

[5] In 1859 the United Kingdom began a claim on the island that Venezuela rejected arguing that it was not mentioned in the capitulation of 1797 nor in the Treaty of Amiens of 1802.

In 1902 the United Kingdom raised its flag on the island which provoked a strong protest from the Venezuelan government.

On 26 February 1942, the island became part of Venezuela in exchange for Soldado Rock to Trinidad and Tobago[6] and was put under the administration of the Ministerio de Relaciones Interiores (actual Ministry of Interior and Justice)[1] as part of the Dependencias Federales.