Venezuela resumes accepting US deportation flights after Trump closes airspace to country
In a surprising turn of events, Venezuela has announced it will continue accepting deportation flights from the United States, a decision made at the request of President Donald Trump’s administration. This announcement follows a brief halt in the twice-weekly flights, which was triggered by Trump’s threats to declare the airspace surrounding Venezuela “closed in its entirety.” The situation escalated when Trump indicated that the U.S. would consider military action against the Maduro regime if it did not comply with American demands. Despite the historical tension between the two nations, the resumption of deportation flights marks an unusual area of cooperation, with over 13,000 immigrants having returned to Venezuela via these chartered flights this year alone.
This development occurs against a backdrop of increased U.S. military presence in the Caribbean, with Trump hinting at possible land-based strikes against alleged narco-traffickers operating in the region. U.S. bombers and the USS Gerald R. Ford, the world’s largest aircraft carrier, have been deployed, signaling a significant military buildup. Trump’s administration has been vocal about its intentions to escalate pressure on Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, who has faced mounting criticism for his authoritarian rule. In a recent phone call, Trump reportedly issued an ultimatum to Maduro, demanding his resignation or facing potential military intervention. As tensions rise, the international community watches closely to see how this complex situation will unfold, especially in light of the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Venezuela and the implications of U.S. foreign policy in the region.
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Venezuela will continue accepting deportation flights from the U.S. at the request of President
Donald Trump
‘s administration, the country announced Tuesday.
Trump threatened to declare the airspace “above and surrounding” Venezuela to be “closed in its entirety,” causing Venezuela to cancel the twice-weekly flights of migrants from the U.S. on Saturday. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro announced on Tuesday that, at the request of the Trump administration, those flights have now resumed.
Immigrants arrive regularly at the airport outside the capital of Caracas on flights operated by a U.S. government contractor or Venezuela’s state-owned airline. More than 13,000 immigrants have returned so far this year on the chartered flights, the latest of which arrived Friday.
Venezuela previously had a longstanding policy of not accepting deportation flights from the U.S. but Maduro’s regime conceded under pressure from Trump earlier this year. The deportation flights are one of the few areas of cooperation between the U.S. and Venezuela as tension between the countries grows.
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U.S. strikes have targeted alleged narco-traffickers operating in the
Caribbean near Venezuela
. Trump has signaled that operations could expand to land-based targets as Washington increases pressure on Maduro to relinquish power.
“You know, the land is much easier, much easier. And we know the routes they take,” Trump told reporters during a Cabinet at the White House. “We know everything about them. We know where they live. We know where the bad ones live. And we’re going to start that very soon too.”
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Dozens of U.S. bombers have deployed to the region alongside the world’s largest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, underscoring the scale of the buildup. With U.S. bombers and the Ford already positioned in the region, much of the world is waiting to see whether Trump will green-light the next phase of
strikes against Venezuelan targets
.
Trump presented Maduro with an ultimatum during a recent phone call, demanding that he step down or face potential U.S. military action. Maduro sought global amnesty for himself, demanded to retain control of the military and resisted an immediate exit from power, the
Miami Herald reported.
Fox News’ Morgan Phillips and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Eric
Eric is a seasoned journalist covering US Politics news.
