Six airlines cancelled flights to Venezuela on Saturday, an industry group said, after the U.S. aviation regulator warned of dangers from “heightened military activity” amid a major buildup of American forces in the region.Spain’s Iberia, Portugal’s TAP, Chile’s LATAM, Colombia’s Avianca and Brazil’s GOL have suspended their flights to the country, said Marisela de Loaiza, president of the Venezuelan Airlines Association (ALAV).She did not specify how long the flight suspensions would last.Panama’s Copa Airlines, Spain’s Air Europa and PlusUltra and Venezuela’s LASER are continuing to operate flights for now. Turkish Airlines said Sunday it was canceling flights from November 24-28.The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration on Friday urged civilian aircraft in Venezuelan airspace to “exercise caution” due to the “worsening security situation and heightened military activity in or around Venezuela.””Threats could pose a potential risk to aircraft at all altitudes, including during overflight, the arrival and departure phases of flight, and/or airports and aircraft on the ground,” it said.America Airlines and United Airlines told CBS News they have already stopped overflying Venezuela.Washington has sent an aircraft carrier strike group, other Navy warships as well as stealth aircraft to the region — deployments it says are aimed at curbing drug trafficking but which have sparked fears in Caracas that regime change is the goal.A U.S. terrorism designation takes effect Monday for a drug cartel allegedly headed by leftist Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro — a move that some believe could presage military action against his government.Washington’s forces have carried out strikes against more than 20 alleged drug-smuggling vessels in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean since early September, killing more than 80 people.But the United States has yet to release concrete evidence that the vessels it targeted were used to smuggle drugs or posed a threat to the country, and regional tensions have flared as a result of the campaign and the accompanying military buildup.Meanwhile, officials in the Trump administration on Saturday discussed the possibility of dropping leaflets on Venezuela’s capital city of Caracas as a kind of psychological warfare to pressure Maduro, multiple U.S. officials familiar with the talks told CBS News.The Washington Post was first to report on the proposed leaflet operation. President Trump said last week he wouldn’t rule out sending U.S. troops into Venezuela.”No, I don’t rule out that,” the president said. “I don’t rule out anything. We just have to take care of Venezuela.”For his part, Maduro on the same day said he would be open to “face-to-face” discussions with Mr. Trump.Last month, Mr. Trump also confirmed that he has authorized the CIA to go into Venezuela and conduct covert operations.There are currently about 15,000 U.S. troops in the region. A Navy official told CBS News last week that the U.S. had four military ships in the western Atlantic, including the USS Gerald R. Ford, the world’s most advanced aircraft carrier, and three guided missile destroyers. It had another seven military ships in the Caribbean, the official said, which included two guided missile destroyers, two guided missile cruisers, an amphibious assault ship and two amphibious transport dock ships.There are also several dozen U.S. fighter jets stationed in Puerto Rico.Maduro, who has led Venezuela since 2013, faced an international outcry when he declared victory in Venezuela’s presidential elections in July 2024 despite results showing he had lost by a large margin to the opposition candidate.The U.S. is one of several nations that does not recognize him as Venezuela’s president. The Trump administration has accused him of operating a cartel that funnels drugs into the U.S., and has offered a $50 million reward for information leading to his arrest. A new CBS News poll finds most Americans would oppose U.S. military action in Venezuela.
