Airlines Cancel Venezuela Flights Amid U.S. Safety Warnings and Escalated Pressure on Maduro

**U.S. aviation warning prompts flight cancellations to Venezuela as Trump administration designates Cartel de los Soles as foreign terrorist organization.**

Following a U.S. aviation safety warning, several major airlines have canceled flights to Venezuela, disrupting travel to the country. The Trump administration has also escalated pressure on President Nicolás Maduro by designating the Venezuelan group known as the Cartel de los Soles as a foreign terrorist organization.

In a move that has further intensified the situation, at least three airlines—Brazil’s Gol, Colombia’s Avianca, and TAP Air Portugal—have canceled departures from Caracas, with other international carriers making changes through Monday. The flight disruptions have also impacted the U.K. and Europe, coinciding with the administration’s decision to designate the Cartel de los Soles as a foreign terrorist organization.

The FAA issued a warning urging airlines to ‘exercise caution’ due to the ‘potentially hazardous situation’ in the region. This comes as the U.S. has increased its military presence in the Caribbean, deploying bombers, warships, and Marines as part of a campaign targeting drug-trafficking operations. The State Department has also officially announced the designation of the Cartel de los Soles in the Federal Register.

The Cartel de los Soles, or ‘Cartel of the Suns,’ refers to a network of government and military officials in Venezuela engaged in drug trafficking. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that the Cartel de los Soles and other cartels in Venezuela were ‘responsible for terrorist violence throughout our hemisphere as well as for trafficking drugs into the United States and Europe.’