U.S.-operated flights carrying deported migrants to Venezuela have resumed and continued as scheduled, even after former U.S. President Donald Trump demanded that Venezuelan airspace be considered closed.
Despite earlier announcements that deportation flights would be suspended, the government of Nicolás Maduro reversed that decision at Washington’s request, authorizing twice‑weekly flights. The newest flight landed at Simón Bolívar International Airport outside Caracas.
The resumptions come after a turbulent few days in which the threat to close Venezuela’s airspace had triggered uncertainty. But with formal overflight and landing applications submitted by U.S.-based carriers, deportations have persisted.
More than 13,000 Venezuelan migrants have already returned this year under the repatriation scheme, with the latest chartered flights bringing hundreds more back. The decision underscores that despite provocative diplomatic rhetoric, operational cooperation on deportations is ongoing.
