President Donald Trump has declared that the airspace above and surrounding Venezuela should be considered fully closed, issuing a blunt warning to commercial carriers and criminal networks as tensions between Washington and Caracas intensify.
Trump’s message comes amid a sharp escalation in US pressure on Venezuela’s government, including the deployment of a large US carrier strike group and other forces to the Caribbean under a counter-narcotics mission that officials say is aimed at disrupting drug trafficking routes linked to the country. The statement closely follows a security advisory from US aviation regulators, who urged airlines to exercise extreme caution in the Maiquetia flight information region because of a “potentially hazardous” situation created by worsening security conditions and increased military activity around Venezuela.
Venezuelan authorities have so far offered only limited or indirect reactions, but the warning is already forcing airlines and cargo operators to reassess routes that cross Venezuelan airspace, raising concerns over costs, detours and regional connectivity. Analysts say Trump’s call to treat the skies over Venezuela as effectively off-limits is one of the clearest signs yet that the United States is willing to tighten its air and maritime pressure campaign on President
