US issues aviation warnings for eastern Pacific over ‘military activities’

The notices also cover Mexico, Columbia, and Ecuador, as well as Central American nations

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued multiple warnings over “military activities,” covering vast territories to the south of the country and in the eastern Pacific.

The Notices to Airmen (NOTAMs) began emerging on Friday, with the authority warning that “potential risks exist for aircraft at all altitudes, including during overflight and the arrival and departure phases of flight.” The FAA notices are set to stay in effect for 60 days.

The series of warnings covers Mexico, Central American countries, Columbia, and Ecuador, as well as specific areas of airspace above the eastern Pacific.  

The NOTAMs come after more than four months of US strikes on boats allegedly involved in drug trafficking in the eastern Pacific and the Caribbean. At least 35 vessels have been destroyed in the strikes, with more than 100 people reportedly killed by US attacks.

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Earlier this month, the US launched a surprise attack on Venezuela, subjecting the country to heavy airstrikes and conducting a daring raid to kidnap President Nicolas Maduro. The Venezuelan leader has been transferred to New York and charged with assorted crimes, including drug trafficking. Maduro has strongly denied all the charges, describing himself as a “prisoner of war.” 

The attack on Venezuela was followed by a flurry of threats from US President Donald Trump and other top officials against other nations in the region that condemned Washington’s actions, including Cuba and Columbia.  

Trump also threatened strikes on Mexico, claiming the country is run by cartels. The US leader claimed that his attacks on boats have “knocked out 97% of the drugs coming in by water” and it was time to “start now hitting land with regard to the cartels.”