Venezuela confirms U.S. request to restart migrant flights

Flights run by U.S. authorities returning deported Venezuelans will proceed, despite President Trump's statement suggesting Venezuelan airspace should be considered off-limits. On Tuesday, Venezuelan President Nicols Maduro's government confirmed that the twice-weekly flights would continue following a request from the U.S. administration. This reverses a previous Venezuelan announcement from Saturday that indicated the flights had been suspended unilaterally by U.S. immigration officials.

An overflight and landing request submitted Monday by Eastern Airlines, based in the U.S., seeks approval for a flight on Wednesday. The agreement allows a Boeing 777-200 to travel from Phoenix, Arizona, to Maiqueta International Airport, according to Venezuela's foreign ministry, which made the application public on Tuesday.

Venezuelans have increasingly been deported this year after Maduro, under pressure from Washington, abandoned his long-standing refusal to accept deported citizens from the U.S. Maduro has described these returns as successful repatriations from harsh U.S. detention conditions. Regular arrivals occur at the airport outside Caracas, operated either by a U.S. government contractor or Venezuela's national airline. More than 13,000 Venezuelans have returned via these chartered flights so far this year, with the most recent landing on Friday.

The repatriation arrangement has drawn criticism from human rights groups, while U.S. officials emphasize it as a strategic tool to weaken transnational criminal organizations. These flights continue even as the U.S. carries out military strikes against suspected drug-smuggling vessels near Venezuela and in the eastern Pacific. Officials say that combining targeted strikes with deportation flights is part of a broader effort to disrupt the Tren de Aragua gang and other criminal networks involved in drug trafficking and violence across the Americas. The Trump administration has also suggested some cartels operate under Maduro's control.

President Trump indicated Tuesday that the U.S. plans to begin land-based strikes soon, without specifying exact locations, hinting that operations could extend beyond Venezuela to countries like Colombia. The land is much easier and we know the routes they take, Trump told reporters. He added that the strikes would target nations producing and distributing fentanyl or cocaine, noting that Colombia is the worlds largest cocaine producer. Anyone selling into our country is subject to attack, he said, clarifying that this applies not only to Venezuela.

The Cabinet meeting occurred amid congressional scrutiny and bipartisan concern that a previous strike on a suspected drug vessel might constitute a war crime. As tensions rise, Pope Leo XVI urged the U.S. to prioritize dialogue and economic measures over military threats. Speaking from the papal plane returning from Lebanon, he noted efforts by the Venezuelan bishops and the Vatican Embassy in Caracas to calm the situation and protect ordinary citizens. Its better to seek dialogue, perhaps pressure, but other means to achieve change, he said, emphasizing caution against direct military action.

Author: Sophia Brooks