A plane carrying 172 Venezuelan migrants deported from the United States landed in Caracas, Venezuela, on Friday. This marks a continuation of repatriation flights despite previous airspace tensions between the two nations.
The flight, originating from Phoenix, Arizona, is the second such arrival in Venezuela this past week. The deportations occur amidst a significant US military presence in the Caribbean Sea.
Venezuelan authorities reported that the flight included five children, 26 women, and 141 men. Official figures indicate that the total number of Venezuelans repatriated through these so-called “Return to the Homeland” flights has now reached 18,260, with over 14,000 originating from the United States.
The US military presence in the Caribbean has been justified by the Trump administration as part of a campaign to combat drug trafficking, alleging that Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro leads one of the involved organizations. US forces have reportedly conducted numerous raids targeting boats suspected of belonging to smugglers, resulting in a reported 87 deaths in recent months.
Maduro’s government views the US military deployment as part of a larger effort to overthrow his government and seize Venezuela’s substantial oil reserves.
Late last November, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a warning urging “extreme caution” when flying over Venezuela, leading to the suspension of flights by nearly all international airlines. Subsequently, then-President Trump declared the airspace over and near Venezuela to be “completely closed.” This declaration was condemned by the Venezuelan government as a “colonial threat” and an “unjustified, illegal, and provocative act of aggression against the Venezuelan people.”
DZWatch will continue to monitor this developing situation.
