Trump says Venezuelan airspace should be considered closed as US pressure intensifies

WASHINGTON – 29 November 2025: US President Donald Trump on Saturday said the airspace above and around Venezuela should be considered “closed in its entirety.”

The announcement followed a recent US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) notice warning major airlines of a “potentially hazardous situation” over Venezuela due to “worsening security situation and heightened military activity in or around” the country.

The Trump administration has accused Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro of involvement in drug trafficking, an allegation he denies.

Maduro says Washington is trying to oust him and insists Venezuelans and the military will resist.

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

U.S. strikes against suspected drug-smuggling boats in the Caribbean have been underway for months alongside a broader military buildup in the region, according to Reuters.

Trump has also authorized covert CIA operations in Venezuela and told US service members this week that land operations targeting alleged Venezuelan drug traffickers would begin “very soon.”