At least six airlines have halted flights to Venezuela after the Federal Aviation Administration issued a warning about deteriorating security conditions and “heightened military activity,” as President Donald Trump ramps up hostilities against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
The FAA issued a warning on Friday urging pilots to “exercise caution” while traveling in Venezuelan airspace, citing threats that “could pose a potential risk to aircrafts at all altitudes.”
TAP Air Portugal, LATAM, Avianca, Iberia, GOL and Caribbean Airlines have paused flights to the Latin American country indefinitely, the Associated Press reported. Turkish Airlines also canceled flights to Venezuela through Nov. 28.
The flight suspensions reflect the widening impact of the Trump administration’s aggressive moves toward the Venezuelan president. The U.S. has killed at least 83 people in strikes in the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific on boats that it claims are being used to smuggle drugs. The administration has characterized the strikes as being part of a crackdown on fentanyl entering the country. The United Kingdom has stopped sharing intelligence on narcotics trafficking in the Caribbean with its U.S. counterparts because it believes those strikes are illegal, NBC News reported.
Trump has accused Maduro of being an illegitimate leader, and the U.S. has designated him and other members of his government as part of a foreign terrorist organization. Observers have said that the administration appears to be making moves in an effort to oust Maduro.
Clarissa-Jan Lim is a breaking news reporter for MS NOW. She was previously a senior reporter and editor at BuzzFeed News. Recommended
