Trump Says Airspace Around, Above Venezuela Will Be Closed Immediately

President Donald Trump on Saturday announced that all airspace above and around Venezuela will be completely closed after months of targeting drug-carrying boats in the waters off the South American nation’s coastline. Trump, in a Truth Social post, said: “To all Airlines, Pilots, Drug Dealers, and Human Traffickers, please consider THE AIRSPACE ABOVE AND SURROUNDING VENEZUELA TO BE CLOSED IN ITS ENTIRETY.”

Last week, the U.S. aviation regulator warned major airlines of a “potentially hazardous situation” when flying over Venezuela, citing a “worsening security situation and heightened military activity in or around” the country.

In response, Venezuela revoked operating rights for six major international airlines that had suspended service following the Federal Aviation Administration’s advisory, CBNC reported.

The Trump administration has accused Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro of involvement in drug trafficking, an allegation he has denied. Maduro, who has been in power since 2013, maintains that Trump is attempting to remove him from office and has said that Venezuelan citizens and the military would oppose any such effort.

U.S. forces in the region have largely focused on counter-narcotics operations, though their presence exceeds what is typically required for those missions. Since September, they have conducted at least 21 strikes on alleged drug-trafficking boats in the Caribbean and Pacific, resulting in at least 83 deaths.

Trump said earlier this month that he has “sort of made up” his mind on how to proceed with the United States’ policy toward Venezuela after holding a series of meetings this week with senior military officials to discuss potential options against Caracas.

“I sort of made up my mind,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One when asked about the situation, The Hill reported. “I can’t tell you what it is, but we made a lot of progress with Venezuela in terms of stopping drugs from pouring in.”

Trump and senior administration officials have sharply escalated their rhetoric toward Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, labeling him an “illegitimate leader” and accusing him of overseeing a drug-smuggling network — allegations Maduro has repeatedly denied.

Throughout the week, Trump received a series of briefings at the White House from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and other top military leaders outlining potential U.S. options toward Venezuela, including possible land-based strikes, according to administration officials.

Separately, since early September the administration has intensified operations targeting what it describes as narcotics-smuggling vessels in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific. U.S. forces have struck 20 boats and killed at least 80 people, whom the administration has characterized as “narco-terrorists.”

The United States has significantly increased its military presence in the U.S. Southern Command region, deploying warships, Marines, fighter aircraft, surveillance planes, and other assets as part of what officials describe as an effort to curb narcotics trafficking and protect U.S. national security.

Hegseth earlier also announced the launch of a new military and intelligence initiative in the Western Hemisphere, named “Operation Southern Spear,” which he said is aimed at targeting and dismantling “narco-terrorist” networks operating within the Southcom area, The Hill added.

Trump signaled during his interview on CBS’s “60 Minutes” that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro may soon face consequences, suggesting Maduro’s “days are numbered.”

Trump has previously floated the possibility of launching military strikes against Venezuela but has not acted on those discussions.

“At a minimum, Secretary Hegseth’s announcement continues to emphasize the Trump administration’s narrative that these maritime strikes are somehow related to counterterrorism,” Brian Finucane, a senior adviser at International Crisis Group, said in an interview with The Hill on Friday.

Last month, Trump revealed that Maduro has “offered everything” in a desperate attempt to persuade the United States to halt military operations targeting suspected drug-trafficking vessels.

The President made the blunt remark using the “f-bomb” during a bilateral meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House, responding to a question about reports that Maduro had tried to open back-channel negotiations.