Trump Declares Venezuelan Airspace Shut

Tensions between the United States and Venezuela have dramatically escalated following a cryptic post by President Donald Trump on Saturday, strongly hinting at imminent military action. The Venezuelan government has forcefully rejected the statement, labeling it a “colonialist threat.”

Writing on his Truth Social platform, President Trump issued a warning to the air travel community. Advising all airlines, pilots, and even criminal networks to completely avoid the nation’s territory, he declared: “Please consider the airspace above and surrounding Venezuela to be closed in its entirety.”

Venezuela’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs swiftly pushed back against what it described as a unilateral embargo. The ministry noted that the warning directly targets the sovereignty of Venezuelan airspace and constitutes “another extravagant, illegal and unjustified aggression” against the people.

The warning comes amid a significant U.S. military build-up in the Caribbean. Washington has assembled a large naval force, including the USS Gerald R. Ford carrier strike group and the Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group, deploying thousands of sailors and marines under the operational banner of Operation Southern Spear.

Just last week, the Trump administration ratcheted up pressure by designating the Venezuela-based Cartel de los Soles as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO), effective November 24, 2025. The U.S. claims the criminal network is headed by President Nicolás Maduro and other senior government and military officials.

The State Department reiterated America’s determination to protect its national security interests. It firmly stated that “Neither Maduro nor his cronies represent Venezuela’s legitimate government,” and stressed its objective of denying resources to narco-terrorists accused of running drug trafficking operations impacting the U.S. and Europe.

Meanwhile, the U.S. counter-narcotics operation in the Caribbean is facing intense legislative scrutiny. The Washington Post reported that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth allegedly ordered crew members eliminated after a vessel was struck on September 2 during a counter-narcotics strike, which resulted in the deaths of over 80 people since early September.

In a joint statement issued on Friday, Republican Senator Roger Wicker, Chairman of the Armed Services Committee, and his Democratic counterpart, Senator Jack Reed, announced that the committee will be conducting “vigorous oversight to determine the facts” related to the conduct of the U.S. military strikes in the region.