US Allies Issue Travel Warnings for Venezuela as Trump Ta...

By Dan Gooding and Shane CroucherShareNewsweek is a Trust Project member

Germany updated its travel advice for Venezuela on Monday, warning citizens that the security situation there is "tense" and could rapidly deteriorate, as President Donald Trump deploys warships to the Caribbean to pressure President Nicolás Maduro over drug cartels.

Trump is weighing his options, including striking Venezuela and attempting to topple socialist Maduro.

It came a day after the U.K. issued new travel advice for Venezuela, warning that flights were being canceled at short notice by airlines amid the situation in the Caribbean.

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) had warned pilots on Friday to exercise caution when flying over Venezuela because of the dangers posed by the security situation.

Newsweek reached out to the U.S. State Department via contact form Monday morning for further comment on American allies' actions.

Why It Matters

The changing travel advice comes as the U.S. is set to ramp up its pressure on the Venezuelan government by designating another group—Cartel de los Soles—as a foreign terrorist organization allegedly led by Maduro. It would be the latest measure aimed at cutting off drug smuggling into the U.S., alongside escalating military maneuvers in the Caribbean and Pacific Ocean—which the White House insists are necessary, despite concerns from within the U.S. and from its allies that a larger conflict could be about to begin.

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What To Know

The Trump administration has rapidly built up its forces in the Caribbean and repeatedly struck what it has said were gang-operated drug boats carrying illicit narcotics to the U.S., often killing those on board. Trump accuses Maduro of heading up a lucrative drug mafia, which he denies, and profiting from the illegal drug trade in the U.S.

"The situation in Venezuela is currently tense," said the foreign office in Berlin in its new Venezuela advisory, originally in German.

"Further deterioration of the security situation is possible at any time, even at short notice. This could lead to nationwide roadblocks, increased police checks, and disruptions to travel, as well as additional restrictions on mobile networks and internet access."

Germany was not alone in urging its residents to avoid traveling to the South American country, with South Korea also issuing an update Friday, imposing a travel ban on the border states of Zulia, Tachira, Apure and Sucre, excluding their respective capitals and the eastern part of Zulia. The rest of the country remains under a warning which urges South Koreans to leave the area.

The U.K.'s warning on Sunday advised British people to avoid all areas within 80 kilometers (50 miles) of the Venezuelan borders with Colombia and Brazil, as well as Zulia state, citing ongoing criminal activity, as well as sudden flight cancellations and a rising chance of conflict in the region.

On Friday, the FAA urged airline operators to "exercise caution" when flying in the region due to the "worsening security situation and heightened military activity in or around Venezuela." The agency warned that planes at all altitudes could be at risk.

At least six airlines then canceled flights to the country, with flight data showing several carriers avoiding Caracas' main airport Saturday.

What People Are Saying

Colombian President Gustavo Petro, posting originally in Spanish on X Sunday: "There must be normal flights to all countries in Latin America from Latin America and the world. Countries are not blocked, because people are blocked and that must be a crime against humanity.

"No state of one country should interfere in the affairs of another state. Multilateralism must transition to governance by global laws, global justice, and global regulation in everything that could end life on the planet, such as the climate or artificial intelligence, or essential medicines, global telecommunications."

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told One America Network in an interview Thursday: "We know exactly who we are targeting, why we are targeting them, what they are carrying. The United States can track and hunt cells and narco-terrorists better than any country in the world."