The Venezuelan government of President Nicolás Maduro has announced it will continue to accept deportation flights from the United States, directly contradicting an earlier suspension and proceeding despite assertions from former US President Donald Trump.
Flights to Continue Despite Political Tensions
On Tuesday, 2 December 2025, Venezuelan officials confirmed that twice-weekly flights operated by the US to return deported migrants would resume. This decision came following a formal request from the Trump administration and reverses a statement issued by Caracas just days prior, on Saturday, which indicated the flights had been unilaterally suspended by American immigration authorities.
The continuation of these repatriation flights is notable given the heightened geopolitical friction. President Trump had publicly stated that Venezuela's airspace should be considered closed, yet the practical arrangements for deportation have persisted. An application for an overflight and landing permit, submitted on Monday by US-based Eastern Airlines for an arrival on Wednesday, was made public by Venezuela's foreign affairs minister, underscoring the ongoing operational coordination.
Background of the Deportation Programme
This year has seen a significant shift in policy from Caracas. Under considerable pressure from the White House, President Maduro abandoned his government's long-standing practice of refusing to accept citizens deported from the United States. Since that reversal, more than 13,000 Venezuelan migrants have been returned to their homeland on dozens of chartered flights.
The deportees arrive regularly at the airport serving the capital, Caracas. The flights are operated either by contractors for the US government or by Venezuela's own state-owned airline, Conviasa. The latest of these flights touched down as recently as Friday, 28 November.
Ongoing Operations Amid Military Threats
Remarkably, the deportation programme has continued to function even as the Trump administration has escalated military actions in the region. The US has conducted strikes against vessels suspected of drug smuggling in the eastern Pacific Ocean and off Venezuela's Caribbean coast. Washington claims these operations target drug cartels it alleges are controlled by the Maduro regime.
Furthermore, reports indicate that President Trump is actively weighing the possibility of authorising strikes on the Venezuelan mainland itself. Despite this backdrop of potential conflict, the logistical machinery of migrant repatriation between the two nations remains, for now, intact.
The situation presents a complex picture of adversarial diplomacy intertwined with functional immigration cooperation. While the two governments exchange public accusations and military threats, a steady stream of deportation flights continues to bridge the airspace between them.
