Overview
- Trump posted on Truth Social that the airspace over and around Venezuela should be considered closed, following an FAA safety advisory, and Caracas condemned the message as a hostile violation of sovereignty.
- Airlines including Iberia halted services to Venezuela, and the Venezuelan aviation authority revoked operating rights for multiple carriers after the cancellations.
- U.S. forces remain deployed in the Caribbean with the USS Gerald R. Ford and roughly 12,000–15,000 personnel, after about 21 strikes on suspected drug‑running vessels since September that reportedly left more than 80 dead.
- The State Department designated the so‑called Cartel de los Soles as a Foreign Terrorist Organization, expanding tools for sanctions, asset freezes, and criminal exposure for supporters.
- The New York Times reported a Trump–Maduro phone call that included Secretary of State Marco Rubio and broached a possible meeting, even as Trump signals that ground operations in Venezuela could begin very soon.