 "Trump says US will ‘very soon’ target Venezuelan drug traffickers on land. AFP")
United States President Donald Trump on Saturday announced that the airspace over and around Venezuela will be closed “in its entirety”, amid rising tensions between the two nations.
“To all Airlines, Pilots, Drug Dealers, and Human Traffickers, please consider THE AIRSPACE ABOVE AND SURROUNDING VENEZUELA TO BE CLOSED IN ITS ENTIRETY,” he wrote on his Truth Social platform.
Venezuela had no immediate response to Trump’s social media post.
Last week, the US aviation regulator warned major airlines of a “potentially hazardous situation” when flying over Venezuela due to a “worsening security situation and heightened military activity in or around” the country.
Trump’s announcement comes following weeks of rising tensions between Venezuela and the United States have as Washington increased pressure on Nicolás Maduro’s government through sanctions and surveillance operations targeting regional drug cartels. Caracas accused the US of violating its sovereignty, while US officials warned of growing security threats around Venezuelan airspace.
Venezuela has withdrawn operating permissions for six major international airlines after they halted flights to the country in response to a safety advisory issued by the US Federal Aviation Administration.
This is a developing story.