The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a series of advisories suggesting aircraft should be prepared for US military activity over Mexico and South America.
The FAA warns of “potential risks exist for aircraft at all altitudes, including during overflight and the arrival and departure phases of flight.” A spokesman for the agency said, “The FAA issued flight advisory notices to Airmen for specified areas of Mexico, Central America, Panama, Bogota, Guayaquil, and Mazatlan Oceanic Flight Regions, and in airspace within the eastern Pacific Ocean.”
The FAA issued a similar warning about Venezuela before the US attacked the country and kidnapped President Nicolas Maduro. President Donald Trump has threatened military action against Mexico and Colombia.
In November, NBC News reported that the Department of War was preparing to conduct operations against cartels in Mexico. At the time, the plans called for strikes on suspected cartel targets.
Trump has repeatedly offered Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum American military support in fighting cartels. Sheinbaum has rebuffed Trump, arguing it would be a violation of Mexico’s sovereignty.
However, Trump has suggested that he could still order military operations in Mexico. “We are going to start now hitting land, with regard to the cartels. The cartels are running Mexico,” Trump told Fox News.
In December, a US military aircraft nearly collided with a civilian airliner near Venezuela. “We almost had a midair collision up here,” the JetBlue pilot said. “They passed directly in our flight path. … They don’t have their transponder turned on, it’s outrageous.”
