US-Venezuela Tensions Escalate as Trump Declares Venezuelan Airspace "Closed" Amid Military Operations

US forces have conducted strikes against more than 20 alleged Venezuelan drug-smuggling vessels.

US President Donald Trump issued a warning on Saturday declaring that the airspace above and near Venezuela should be considered closed, marking the latest escalation in the ongoing standoff with leftist leader Nicolas Maduro.

"To all Airlines, Pilots, Drug Dealers, and Human Traffickers," Trump wrote on his Truth Social network, "please consider THE AIRSPACE ABOVE AND SURROUNDING VENEZUELA TO BE CLOSED IN ITS ENTIRETY."

The US president provided no further details on the declaration.

Trump's administration is intensifying pressure on Venezuela, deploying significant military forces in the Caribbean that include the world's largest aircraft carrier.

While Washington claims the objective is to combat drug trafficking, Caracas maintains that regime change is the true goal.

Since early September, US forces have targeted more than 20 alleged Venezuelan drug-smuggling vessels in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean, resulting in over 80 fatalities.

The United States has not yet presented evidence demonstrating that the targeted vessels were involved in drug smuggling or posed a threat to American security.

The campaign and accompanying military buildup have significantly heightened regional tensions.

Last week, US aviation authorities advised civilian aircraft operating in Venezuelan airspace to "exercise caution" due to the "worsening security situation and heightened military activity in or around Venezuela."

This advisory prompted six airlines that handle much of South America's air travel to suspend their flights to Venezuela.

The decision angered Caracas, leading to a ban on these companies—Spain's Iberia, Portugal's TAP, Colombia's Avianca, Chile and Brazil's LATAM, Brazil's GOL, and Turkish Airlines—for "joining the actions of state terrorism promoted by the United States government."

The New York Times reported Friday that Trump and Maduro had engaged in a phone conversation last week and discussed a potential meeting in the United States.

News of the Trump-Maduro call emerged just one day after the US president announced that efforts to halt Venezuelan drug trafficking by land were imminent, further increasing tensions with Caracas.