US President Donald Trump announced a complete closure of Venezuelan airspace on Saturday. The US military had previously launched a series of naval operations and deployed significant naval forces in the coastal area of the South American country.

US President Donald Trump announced the complete closure of Venezuelan airspace on Saturday. In a short post published on the social media site Truth Social, the president drew attention to the fact that the United States is closing airspace over and around Venezuela.

All airlines, pilots, drug traffickers and human smugglers, please note that the airspace over and around Venezuela should be considered completely closed

– quoted Donald Trump, presumably confirming the intention of an American military operation, according to the MTI report.

The US president said in a video call with members of the US military on Thursday for the Thanksgiving holiday that a US ground operation against suspected Venezuelan drug trafficking organizations is “very close”.

We stopped about 85 percent of them at sea [for Venezuelan drug traffickers – Ed.]. You probably noticed that people don’t want to ship by sea, so we’re going to start stopping them on land as well. It’s easier on land, but we’ll start very soon

– Donald Trump said in an online conference with the US military. He added: “We warned them not to send poison into our country.”

The Navy has regrouped its forces

The US government earlier this week designated a network called the Cartel des Soles, which is believed to be close to the Venezuelan government and President Nicolas Maduro, and which the US says plays a key role in drug trafficking, as a foreign terrorist organization.

In recent weeks, the US Navy has concentrated significant forces near the coast of the South American country, and in the first half of November, the world's largest and most modern aircraft carrier, the Gerald Ford, and its escort group arrived there.

The US military has been ramping up pressure on Venezuela since early September. It has already carried out more than a dozen naval raids against suspected drug-smuggling boats. More than 80 people have been killed in the operations, and the US government says the operation has significantly reduced the number of maritime drug smugglers from Venezuela to the United States.

Venezuela's president could be removed

According to media reports, the first phase of the new US operation against Venezuela will likely involve covert operations. It is currently unknown what exactly this might entail, when exactly it might take place, and whether US President Donald Trump has made a final decision on this. However, in recent weeks, the US military has deployed additional forces to the Caribbean region.

According to the source, who requested anonymity, Donald Trump is ready to use all elements of American power to stop the flow of drugs from the South American country to the United States and aims to bring those responsible to justice.

Nicolás Maduro offered negotiations

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has previously indicated that he is ready to hold private talks with Donald Trump after the US president hinted at the possibility of a face-to-face meeting. Maduro indicated that Venezuelan intervention would politically “end” the US president’s leadership role.

If someone in the United States wants to talk to Venezuela, we talk to them, face to face, in private. No problem. What we cannot allow (...) is the bombing and murder of the Christian people of Venezuela

– said the president of Venezuela. “Yes to peace! No to war! Never, never war!” – declared Nicolás Maduro, indicating: “anyone who wants dialogue will always find us, the trustworthy people”. According to the president 

in power circles (...) they want President Trump to make the biggest mistake of his life and launch a military intervention against Venezuela. And that would end his leadership role politically. (...) But they are pressuring him, provoking him, provoking him.

Donald Trump previously told reporters about the Venezuelan president that he would “talk to him at some point,” but added that Nicolás Maduro “has not been good for the United States.” Asked whether he would rule out sending U.S. troops to Venezuela, he said: “No, I’m not ruling that out, I’m not ruling anything out.”