Caribbean Airlines suspends Venezuela service amid regional tensions

Caribbean Airlines has announced the immediate suspension of all flights to Venezuela for the remainder of September, citing no reason for the move.

The suspension primarily affects the Port of Spain–Caracas route, with flights BW 300 and BW 301 on September 6, 13, 20, and 27 now canceled. The airline said affected customers are being contacted and may rebook without fees, provided tickets remain in the same cabin class. Refunds and transfers to alternative carriers are also being offered.

The decision comes as regional tension escalates in the wake of a recent U.S. military strike on a Venezuelan vessel that Washington claimed was ferrying narcotics bound for the United States. U.S. President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed the airstrike, which reportedly left 11 Venezuelans dead.

Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar has thrown her support behind Washington’s campaign, telling CNN, “The pain and suffering the cartels have inflicted on our nation is immense. I have no sympathy for traffickers; the U.S. military should kill them all violently.”

Venezuela has long been identified as a major transshipment hub for narcotics moving through the Caribbean into the U.S. The Trump administration has increased its pressure on President Nicolás Maduro in recent weeks, including placing a US$50 million bounty on his arrest.

Caribbean Airlines has not commented on whether the suspension is linked to these developments.