WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump warned on Saturday that the airspace above and near Venezuela should be considered closed, the latest escalation in a standoff with leftist leader Nicolas Maduro. &quot;To all Airlines, Pilots, Drug Dealers, and Human Traffickers,&quot; Trump wrote on his Truth Social network, &quot;please consider THE AIRSPACE ABOVE AND SURROUNDING VENEZUELA TO BE CLOSED IN ITS ENTIRETY.&quot; The US president did not elaborate. Trump&#39;s administration is piling pressure on Venezuela, with a major military deployment in the Caribbean that includes the world&#39;s largest aircraft carrier. Washington says the aim is to curb drug trafficking, but Caracas insists regime change is the ultimate goal. US forces have carried out strikes against more than 20 alleged Venezuelan drug-smuggling vessels in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean since early September, killing more than 80 people. Washington has yet to release evidence that the vessels it targeted were used to smuggle drugs or posed a threat to the United States. Regional tensions have flared as a result of the campaign and the accompanying military buildup. US aviation authorities last week urged civilian aircraft operating in Venezuelan airspace to &quot;exercise caution&quot; due to the &quot;worsening security situation and heightened military activity in or around Venezuela.&quot; That warning prompted six airlines that account for much of the travel in South America to suspend flights to Venezuela. The move infuriated Caracas and led it to ban the companies -- Spain&#39;s Iberia, Portugal&#39;s TAP, Colombia&#39;s Avianca, Chile and Brazil&#39;s LATAM, Brazil&#39;s GOL and Turkish Airlines -- for &quot;joining the actions of state terrorism promoted by the United States government.&quot; The New York Times reported on Friday that Trump and Maduro had spoken by phone last week and discussed a possible meeting in the United States. The report about the Trump-Maduro call came a day after the US president said efforts to halt Venezuelan drug trafficking by land were imminent, further ratcheting up tensions with Caracas.

Americas

Washington escalated tensions with Venezuela as President Trump warned airspace was closed and deployed major military assets, citing anti-drug efforts. Airstrikes, airline suspensions, and Caracas’ retaliatory bans fueled the standoff, despite reports of a recent Trump–Maduro phone call.

Trump says Venezuela airspace should be considered 'closed in its entirety'

Reuters

ISLAMABAD: The U.S. military launched a second missile strike on a suspected Venezuelan &lsquo;drug trafficking&rsquo; vessel in international waters, escalating tensions with Caracas.&nbsp;The Venezuelan president, Nicolas Maduro, has been accused of leading a cocaine cartel.&nbsp;&nbsp;Caracas vowed to defend itself against what it calls U.S. aggression.&nbsp;US military build-upThe Trump administration dramatically increased pressure on Venezuela, deploying over 4,000 troops, warships armed with Tomahawk missiles, an attack submarine, and military aircraft in the southern Caribbean. &nbsp;&nbsp;President Donald Trump confirmed the strike killed three men aboard the boat, which he linked to the Venezuelan cartel Tren de Aragua, allegedly headed by Maduro himself.&nbsp;&nbsp;U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio supported the attacks, saying the strikes caused a significant drop in drug shipments headed to the U.S. &quot;We have 100 percent fidelity and certainty that that boat was involved in that trafficking of those drugs that ultimately were destined to reach the United States of America,&quot; Rubio said.&nbsp;Venezuelan responseThe Venezuelan president, speaking in Caracas, denounced U.S. actions as aggressive and blamed Rubio for the breakdown in communications between the two governments. Venezuelan Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello disputed U.S. claims. He stated the 11 people killed in an earlier strike were not drug trafficking and raised questions about why arrests were not made if drugs were aboard.&nbsp;Maduro said Venezuela had the right to defend itself fully and urged citizens to remain &lsquo;alert&rsquo;.&nbsp;&nbsp;Military posturingVenezuelan fighter jets flew close to the USS Jason Dunham, a move the U.S. Pentagon called &ldquo;highly provocative&rdquo;. While Trump avoided confirming further strikes on the Venezuelan mainland, there are worries that the September 2 strike marked the start of a broader campaign to disrupt &lsquo;narcotics trafficking&rsquo; and possibly remove Maduro from power.&nbsp;&nbsp;

US conducts second strike on Venezuelan vessel, Maduro vows defense

Caracas vowed to defend itself against what it calls U.S. aggression.

Articles tagged with "Nicolas Maduro"

Trump says Venezuela airspace should be considered 'closed in its entirety'

US conducts second strike on Venezuelan vessel, Maduro vows defense