The U.S. Department of Transportation on Wednesday ordered the suspension of all commercial passenger and cargo flights between the United States and Venezuela, citing reports of unrest and violence around airports in the South American country.
In a letter to the Transportation Department requesting the halt, the Department of Homeland Security said “conditions in Venezuela threaten the safety and security of passengers, aircraft, and crew travelling to or from that country.”
Many international airlines had stopped flying to Venezuela anyway because of security concerns and disputes over money they say the government owes them.