New US warning against flying in Venezuelan airspace due to risks of military activities
The US Federal Aviation Administration on Tuesday again warned civilian aircraft not to fly in Venezuelan airspace, citing risks related to military activities.
The agency urged aircraft to take caution due to the deterioration of the security situation and increased military activity in or around Venezuela.
The new warning comes days after the pilot of a JetBlue plane said his plane was about to collide with a US Air Force refueling plane near Venezuela, in an incident the airline said it had reported to US authorities.
It comes as the United States builds up its forces in the Caribbean, where it has deployed the world’s largest aircraft carrier and a number of warships, and US military planes have flown over the Venezuelan coast in recent weeks.
In related context, Trump has ordered the blockade and blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers entering or exiting Venezuela.
Trump said in a post on social media on Tuesday evening that his administration views the Venezuelan government as a “foreign terrorist organization”.
“Venezuela is completely surrounded by the largest naval fleet in South American history, and this fleet will continue to expand and expose them to a shock the likes of which they have never seen before,” he added.
Trump called the government of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro “illegitimate” and that it should receive funding from oil extracted from oil fields stolen from the United States.
“America won’t allow a hostile regime to seize our oil, territory or other assets… All of these assets must be immediately returned to the United States”.
On the other hand, the Venezuelan government published a statement on its website, declaring its categorical rejection of Trump’s threats, and considered his statements to constitute a serious, reckless threat and violation of international law.
The statement said Washington’s move was a colonial attempt aimed at seizing Venezuela’s natural resources, and that the Caracas government would file a formal complaint with the United Nations.
“Through this completely illogical step, Trump aims to impose a so-called naval blockade on Venezuela to seize its wealth,” he said.
Tensions have recently escalated between the United States and Venezuela, and in August Trump issued an executive order to increase the use of the military in the name of “fighting drug cartels” in Latin America.
In this context, Washington announced the dispatch of warships and submarines off the coast of Venezuela, while the US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said that the army is ready for operations, including regime change in Venezuela.
Trump says the military deployment is aimed at fighting drugs, accusing Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro of leading a smuggling cartel.
Caracas denies this, accusing Washington of seeking regime change in Venezuela and controlling its oil reserves.
The United States has offered a $50 million reward for anyone who helps capture Maduro.
Since September, the US forces have carried out strikes against more than 20 ships they said were suspected of smuggling drugs in the Caribbean and the eastern Pacific, killing at least 95 people.
