U.S. Military Escalation Halts Deportation Flights to Venezuela

WASHINGTON — December 2, 2025 — Recent U.S. military actions targeting Venezuela have led to the suspension of deportation flights carrying Venezuelan migrants from the United States back to their home country, according to Venezuela’s foreign ministry. This development marks a significant breakdown in one of the few remaining cooperative efforts between Washington and the government of Nicolás Maduro.

The Venezuelan foreign ministry announced that the U.S. government has unilaterally halted the twice-weekly charter flights that were part of the Plan Vuelta a la Patria, or Return to the Homeland Plan. Nearly 14,000 Venezuelan nationals had been repatriated through these flights in recent months. The suspension follows an escalation in U.S. military presence in the region, including the deployment of dozens of bombers and the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford.

President Donald Trump has intensified military pressure on the Maduro administration, warning pilots that the airspace over and around Venezuela should be closed entirely. The Trump administration has also indicated plans to expand strikes beyond maritime targets linked to alleged narcotics trafficking to include land-based operations near Caracas.

This military buildup and the suspension of deportation flights have drawn criticism from some observers who view the escalation as counterproductive. Curt Mills, executive editor of The American Conservative, criticized the shift toward military action, calling for a return to immigration enforcement rather than what he described as “neocon wars that exacerbate and cause migration crises.”

Meanwhile, the Trump administration is moving forward with plans to end temporary protected status for approximately 600,000 Venezuelans residing in the United States. The suspension of deportation flights effectively ends a rare area of cooperation between the U.S. and Maduro’s government, complicating the situation for Venezuelan migrants.

The international community is closely watching the situation as the U.S. military presence in the Caribbean grows. The deployment of the USS Gerald R. Ford and accompanying bombers underscores the scale of the U.S. commitment to pressuring the Maduro government. Officials have warned that Venezuela could face “severe, and escalating sanctions” if it does not accept the return of its citizens.

The suspension of deportation flights and the increased military activity reflect a significant shift in U.S. policy toward Venezuela, with potential implications for regional stability and migration patterns.