Trump Warns Airlines Not to Fly Near Venezuelan Airspace, US Cancels Deportation Flights

President Trump announced on Saturday that the "airspace above and surrounding Venezuela" should be considered "closed in its entirety," as the US has considered military action in the region.

Key Quote: Trump wrote, "To all Airlines, Pilots, Drug Dealers, and Human Traffickers, please consider THE AIRSPACE ABOVE AND SURROUNDING VENEZUELA TO BE CLOSED IN ITS ENTIRETY."

The Details: Venezuela said it "forcefully rejects" what it described as a "colonial threat" aimed at undermining its "territorial integrity, aeronautical security and full sovereignty." It also said the US unilaterally suspended its biweekly deportation flights to the country.

For Context: On Thursday, Trump said the US was preparing ground operations against alleged Venezuelan drug trafficking networks. Since September 1, when the Trump administration claimed Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro was a drug trafficking leader, the US has struck 21 boats in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific Ocean, which it claimed were trafficking drugs. Last week, the Trump administration raised the bounty it has issued for the capture of President Maduro to $50 million and designated the Cartel de los Soles as a terrorist organization. Media outlets have offered mixed opinions on whether the US should go to war with Venezuela.

How The Media Covered It: Associated Press (Left bias) noted that the Venezuelan government had cooperated with the US on deportation flights, which have returned over 13,000 Venezuelans this year, and that the US does not have jurisdiction over Venezuela's airspace. The Wall Street Journal (Center) reported speaking to anonymous government officials who said the US has been running simulated attacks against Venezuela in recent weeks. The Washington Times (Lean Right) concluded its coverage with a quote from Colombian President Gustavo Petro, a very vocal critic of President Trump, who criticized the move.

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