President Donald Trump on Saturday warned airlines and pilots to stay away from Venezuelan skies.
“To all airlines, pilots, drug dealers and human traffickers, please consider the AIR SPACE OVER AND SURROUNDING VENEZUELA COMPLETELY CLOSED,” Trump. published on Pravda Sots.
The announcement follows weeks of military buildup in Latin American waters. USS Gerald R. Ford, the largest aircraft in the world. carriernow patrols the region alongside F-35 fighter jets, surveillance aircraft and warships.
Since September, the Department of Defense has been targeting ships suspected of transporting drugs to US shores as part of Operation Southern Lance. These strikes killed more than 80 people. (RELATED: Drug distribution hotspot on Venezuela's coast reels under Trump's blows)
On Thursday, Trump told troops that ground operations would follow.
“You've probably noticed that people don't want to ship cargo by sea, and we'll start stopping them by land,” he said. “It's easier on earth, but it will start very soon. We warn them: stop sending poison to our country.”
The administration accuses Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro of leading the Cartel de los Soles. US officials recently designated the organization as a foreign terrorist group and called it Maduro “illegitimate leader”
The FAA has called pilots to “exercise caution” near Venezuelan airspace, citing a “deteriorating security situation and increased military activity.”
