Airlines Cancel Caracas Flights After U.S. FAA Warns of Risks Over Venezuela

Overview

• Gol, Avianca and TAP canceled departures from Caracas and Iberia will suspend service after the FAA urged extreme caution over Venezuelan airspace, though the notice does not ban overflights.
• U.S. officials told Reuters a new phase of operations tied to Venezuela could begin within days, with clandestine actions likely first and even an attempt to remove Nicolás Maduro under evaluation.
• The United States has concentrated forces including the USS Gerald R. Ford carrier group, additional warships, a submarine and F‑35s under Operation Southern Spear, and has carried out at least 21 maritime strikes since September that killed about 83 people.
• Washington plans to designate the alleged Cartel de los Soles as a Foreign Terrorist Organization, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says the step would provide a range of new options for action.
• Maduro has tightened his personal security with Cuban agents and shifted to tightly managed public appearances as Venezuela raises military readiness and the FAA reports GNSS interference in the country.