Several commercial flights to Venezuela have been canceled in recent days after the Federal Aviation Administration warned pilots to exercise caution when flying near the country due to the risk of heightened military activity.
The caution follows a U.S. military buildup in the Caribbean. The Navy’s Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group has moved into the region, coinciding with recent strikes by the Trump administration on numerous small boats alleged to be trafficking drugs illegally. Those strikes have killed more than 80 people.
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The Trump administration maintains the operations target drug traffickers, but the show of force has prompted speculation over whether the actions are aimed at regime change. The U.S. does not recognize Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro as the country’s legitimate leader and says the nation’s most recent elections were rigged.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Monday moved to designate Maduro's senior government leaders as a foreign terrorist organization — a move that gives President Donald Trump new tools to impose additional economic sanctions.
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With a strong military presence now in the region, questions have arisen over whether potential land seizures or even war with Venezuela could be possible. But it could also just be additional pressure on Maduro to step down.
Maduro last week said he wants peace and that war is never the answer, though Venezuelan forces have been carrying out military exercises within the country.
