Amid the sustained US military deployment in the southern Caribbean, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued an urgent advisory to commercial flights, urging them to “exercise extreme caution” when flying over Venezuelan-controlled airspace. This warning, which mentions a “deteriorating security situation” and increased military activity, raises concerns about an escalation of threats from Washington against Venezuela.
The communication issued by the FAA focuses on the Flight Information Region for Venezuela’s Maiquetía International Airport, a vast low-lying airspace that includes areas of the southern and eastern Caribbean. The alert emphasizes that the “potentially hazardous situation” could pose a risk to civilian aircraft at all altitudes, both during overflight and during the critical arrival and departure phases at regional airports.
The FAA text is explicit in warning that “the threats could pose a potential risk to aircraft at all altitudes,” extending the risk even to airports and aircraft on the ground within the aforementioned region. This broad warning coincides with the growing presence of Pentagon military assets in waters near the Venezuelan coast.
The US agency’s decision comes just days after the arrival in the southern Caribbean of the USS Gerald R. Ford, the largest and most technologically advanced US aircraft carrier. Its deployment reinforces a significant military contingent that Washington has maintained in the region since mid-year, intensifying pressure on Venezuela.
Since the beginning of this operation, Washington has justified the deployment under the pretext of combating drug trafficking in the region. The US government maintains that President Nicolás Maduro’s administration is an integral part of drug trafficking networks, an accusation categorically rejected by Caracas, which views the contingent as a direct threat to its sovereignty.
As part of this operation, US forces have reported the destruction of approximately twenty vessels allegedly carrying narcotics in the Caribbean and the Pacific, resulting in the deaths of at least 83 people on board. These actions have been described as extrajudicial killings that constitute an excessive use of force in international waters.
The issuance of an air alert of this nature, in a context of evident military and political pressure, is seen by analysts as a potential precursor to a further escalation of U.S. threats against Venezuela. The subtle combination of warnings to civil aviation and the show of force with state-of-the-art weaponry creates a scenario of high tension and uncertainty in the Greater Caribbean region.
IMAGE CREDIT: The alert underscores that the “potentially hazardous situation” could pose a risk to civilian aircraft at all altitudes. Photo: EFE. The FAA cited as a cause of risk to civilian aviation near Venezuela.
[ SOURCE: teleSUR ]
