US fighter jets have been conducting near-continuous patrols in international airspace surrounding Venezuela amid sharply escalating tensions between Washington and Caracas, according to a Wall Street Journal report published on Saturday.
The development comes shortly after President Donald Trump declared that Venezuela’s airspace was “entirely closed,” urging commercial airlines to treat it as off-limits. The remark significantly intensifies US pressure on President Nicolás Maduro after weeks of threats, military signalling and heightened concern over a possible American strike.
Closing a country’s airspace is often viewed as a precursor to airstrikes. In recent weeks, the US has amassed substantial military assets across the Caribbean, with the Trump administration accusing Maduro and senior security officials of leading a narcotics network that allegedly ships drugs into the United States. Earlier this week, Washington designated the so-called “Cartel de los Soles” as a foreign terrorist organisation — a move that may provide legal justification for potential military action, despite the group not being a formal cartel.
A US defence official, speaking anonymously, told the WSJ that American aircraft are patrolling the region “almost continuously” as part of expanded counter-narcotics operations. The official referred all questions regarding possible changes in tactics — including flights over Venezuelan territory — to the White House, which did not comment.
Experts note that the US president has no legal authority to close another nation’s airspace, but the statement has added to speculation over Washington’s intentions. Trump has repeatedly accused Maduro of running a criminal drug enterprise and has refused to rule out sending troops.
Since August, the US military has reinforced its presence in the Caribbean, launching several lethal strikes on vessels allegedly involved in drug trafficking since early September. Maduro, meanwhile, has ordered troop mobilisations across Venezuela as fears of conflict rise.
The Federal Aviation Administration recently warned pilots to exercise “extreme caution” when flying near Venezuelan airspace due to deteriorating security conditions and increased military activity.
For ordinary Venezuelans, the situation has deepened uncertainty, leaving them caught between the threat of a US strike and a government widely mistrusted for withholding reliable information.
