Trump Warns Airspace Over Venezuela is Closed; US Conducts Strikes on Alleged Drug Vessels

U.S. President Donald Trump issued a stark warning today declaring that the airspace above and surrounding Venezuela should be considered "closed in its entirety" to all airlines, pilots, drug dealers, and human traffickers, marking a dramatic escalation in the ongoing standoff with Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro. In a post on his Truth Social platform from Mar-a-Lago, Trump wrote, "To all airlines, pilots, drug dealers, and human traffickers, please consider THE AIRSPACE ABOVE AND SURROUNDING VENEZUELA TO BE CLOSED IN ITS ENTIRETY. Thank you for your attention to this matter!" The declaration, which did not specify enforcement mechanisms or duration, follows a U.S. Federal Aviation Administration advisory last week urging caution in Venezuelan airspace due to a "worsening security situation and heightened military activity," prompting six major South American carriers—Iberia, TAP, Avianca, LATAM, GOL, and Turkish Airlines—to suspend flights to the country. Venezuela retaliated by revoking their operating rights, accusing them of complicity in "state terrorism."

The airspace alert arrives amid the Trump administration's aggressive anti-drug trafficking campaign in the region, which has included a massive military buildup in the Caribbean—the largest U.S. naval deployment there in decades—centered around Operation Southern Spear. Since early September, U.S. forces have conducted over 20 strikes on alleged Venezuelan drug-smuggling vessels in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean, killing more than 80 people, though Washington has yet to publicly release evidence linking the targets to narcotics or threats against the U.S. The flotilla features the USS Gerald R. Ford, the world's largest aircraft carrier, accompanied by guided-missile destroyers like the USS Winston S. Churchill and USS Mahan, two cruisers, amphibious ships with 2,000 Marines, B-52 bombers for "shows of force," and roughly 15,000 troops across bases in Puerto Rico and at sea—far exceeding typical counter-narcotics operations and fueling speculation of preparations for regime change or direct strikes on Venezuelan soil. Trump, during a Thanksgiving call with troops on November 27, hinted at imminent "ground operations" to curb land-based trafficking while designating Maduro and allies as part of the "Cartel de los Soles" terrorist organization, unlocking broader sanctions and potential CIA lethal actions.

Maduro's government has vehemently denounced the moves as an "illegal invasion" and act of "imperialism," vowing self-defense and accusing the U.S. of fabricating the drug pretext to seize Venezuela's vast oil reserves—the world's largest proven deposits—and topple his regime. Regional tensions have spiked, with Britain halting intelligence-sharing on suspected smugglers to avoid complicity in strikes deemed "illegal" by London, and Latin American nations like Colombia expressing unease over the spillover risks to their airspace and waters. The New York Times reported Friday that Trump and Maduro spoke by phone last week, discussing a potential U.S. meeting—possibly a diplomatic off-ramp—though Trump has doubled the bounty on Maduro to $50 million and rejected outright ceasefires without concessions on annexed territories.

Also Read: Trump Held Secret Call With Maduro To Discuss Possible U.S. Meeting: NYT Report

As the U.S. maintains a "non-international armed conflict" status with 24 cartels—including the alleged Maduro-linked Cartel de los Soles—experts warn the closure could isolate Venezuela further, stranding its economy amid hyperinflation and mass migration, while inviting environmental hazards from disrupted shadow fleet oil tankers. The FAA's NOTAM (Notice to Air Missions) remains active, advising pilots to avoid the area, and analysts like Elliott Abrams, Trump's former Venezuela envoy, note the deployment's scale exceeds drug interdiction needs, hinting at covert ops or airstrikes on ports and airstrips tied to alleged trafficking. With Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine touring the region this week, the standoff risks broader hemispheric instability, testing alliances and Trump's "America First" doctrine against Maduro's defiance.

Also Read: U.S. to Designate Venezuela’s Cartel de los Soles as Foreign Terrorist Organization