Caribbean Airlines halts all T&T–Venezuela flights with immediate effect

Caribbean Airlines has announced the termination of all flights between Trinidad and Caracas, Venezuela, for the month of September 2025.
In a statement on Thursday, the airline said the decision takes immediate effect and applies to all scheduled services along the route.
Passengers already booked on the affected flights are being contacted directly by the airline. They will be allowed to rebook their travel without any change fees, provided the new booking is in the same cabin. Customers also have the option of rescheduling their flights on any future Caribbean Airlines service, with no penalty.
The airline stressed that all changes must be processed through its Reservations Call Centre or at a Caribbean Airlines Ticket Office.

Additionally, passengers who prefer not to rebook may apply for a full refund through the airline’s call centre, ticket offices, or their travel agents.
Caribbean Airlines noted that any further updates on its Caracas operations will be shared via its official website, www.caribbean-airlines.com, and across its social media platforms.
“We thank our customers for their understanding and regret any inconvenience caused,” the statement said.
The cancellations come at a time when the US military carried out a strike on Tuesday against a vessel originating from Venezuela, killing 11 persons allegedly involved in narcotics trafficking. According to a Reuters report, President Donald Trump confirmed the operation, describing it as the first known offensive action since his Administration deployed warships to the southern Caribbean earlier this year.
Trump later posted a video on his Truth Social platform that appeared to show drone footage of a speedboat exploding at sea before catching fire. “The strike resulted in 11 terrorists killed in action. No US forces were harmed in this strike,” he said, claiming the crew belonged to the Venezuelan criminal syndicate Tren de Aragua, which the US designated as a terrorist organisation in February. Trump further alleged that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro controls the gang, accusations Caracas has repeatedly denied.
The strike comes amid a significant US military build-up in the southern Caribbean. Seven warships – including the USS San Antonio, USS Iwo Jima, and USS Fort Lauderdale–along with a nuclear-powered fast attack submarine and more than 4500 sailors and Marines, have been deployed to the region. US officials say surveillance aircraft, including P-8 spy planes, are also operating in international waters to monitor trafficking routes.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio suggested the destroyed vessel may have been bound for Caribbean nations, including Trinidad. “Suffice it to say that the president is going to be on offence against drug cartels and drug trafficking in the United States,” Rubio is quoted as saying in the article.
Last month, Reuters reported that Washington doubled its reward to US$50 million for information leading to Maduro’s arrest, accusing him of ties to drug trafficking and organised crime. Venezuelan officials maintain that Tren de Aragua was dismantled during a 2023 prison raid and no longer operates inside the country.