Venezuela Suspends Deportation Flights After Trump Declares Airspace 'Closed' — Tensions with U.S. Escalate

The Venezuelan government announced it has suspended all migrant deportation flights after former President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social that the airspace "above and surrounding Venezuela" should be considered closed. Caracas condemned the message as a "colonialist threat" to its sovereignty and said the remarks violated international law.

Key developments

“To all Airlines, Pilots, Drug Dealers, and Human Traffickers, please consider THE AIRSPACE ABOVE AND SURROUNDING VENEZUELA TO BE CLOSED IN ITS ENTIRETY.”

Following the post, Venezuela said it had "unilaterally suspended" deportation flights to the country. Deportation operations have been a flashpoint amid an expansive U.S. removal program; the U.S. Department of Defense did not immediately comment on the suspension.

Separately, U.S. strikes targeting suspected drug-smuggling boats in the Caribbean have continued for months alongside an increased U.S. military presence in the region. Officials and reporting have also indicated that covert intelligence operations have been authorised inside Venezuela.

The White House launched a new section on its official website that publicly lists and criticizes media outlets it says have distorted coverage. Headlined "Misleading. Biased. Exposed.", the page identifies several outlets it calls "media offenders of the week," accusing them of mischaracterizing comments linked to lawmakers and military orders.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth publicly denied a report alleging he ordered lethal strikes to kill everyone aboard a boat under surveillance. Hegseth called the reporting "fake news," asserting that recent maritime strikes were lawful under U.S. and international law. A recent report had said Hegseth directed officials on 2 September to "kill everybody" on a targeted vessel, an allegation the Pentagon has defended by saying those targeted were suspected drug traffickers.

In public health news, Dr. Vinay Prasad, a senior vaccine regulator, signaled a more cautious approach to federal vaccine approvals after his team raised concerns about possible links between Covid-19 vaccines and a small number of pediatric deaths. An internal agency email indicated the Food and Drug Administration will reassess certain vaccine policies — a move experts say could tighten approval standards.

Higher education and legal developments included a settlement in which Northwestern University agreed to pay $75 million to resolve multiple federal investigations and restore previously withheld research funding. Meanwhile, legal observers are watching the upcoming release of documents related to Jeffrey Epstein, which could prompt further scrutiny of individuals connected to the financier.

Context: These developments reflect rising diplomatic and security tensions in the Western Hemisphere and a broader domestic debate over media, national security, and public health policy. The situation remains fluid; further statements from U.S. and Venezuelan officials are expected.

Updated: 28 November 2025.