The warning came after Mexico’s Sheinbaum said he had achieved “convincing results” in his efforts to tackle drug cartels after President Donald Trump threatened to attack them.
Published January 17, 2026
The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued a notice asking airlines to be “on guard” against Mexico and other Central American countries, as well as Ecuador and Colombia, citing “military activity.”
On Friday, the FAA issued a series of recommendations as the U.S. military buildup continues in Latin America, including a U.S. military strike against Venezuela, U.S. President Donald Trump’s warning to Cuba and threats of attacks against drug cartels in Mexico and Colombia, unsettling many in the region.
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The FAA issued warnings of “potentially hazardous conditions” in a number of areas, including over the Pacific Ocean and the Gulf of California, also known as the Sea of Cortez.
The FAA said the warning issued Friday will last for 60 days.
Last month, a New York-bound JetBlue airliner took evasive action to avoid a mid-air collision with a U.S. Air Force refueling plane near Venezuela.
JetBlue Flight 1112 had left the Caribbean island of Curaçao and was flying about 64 kilometers (40 miles) off the coast of Venezuela when the Airbus plane reported an encounter with an Air Force plane, which had no transponder activated.
Following the U.S. attack on Caracas and the abduction of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife on January 3, President Trump raised the possibility of other military action in the region, including against Colombia.
President Trump said last week that cartels were controlling Mexico and that the United States would “begin landing” to fight them, in one of a series of threats to deploy the U.S. military against drug traffickers.
After the attack on Venezuela, the FAA restricted air travel across the Caribbean, forcing major airlines to cancel hundreds of flights.
Mexico records ‘compelling results’
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said Friday that efforts to crack down on drug cartels in Mexico and slow migration north are showing “convincing results,” following President Donald Trump’s recent attack threats targeting drug cartels in Mexico.
Mr. Sheinbaum has sought to appease Mr. Trump and has sought to build stronger ties between the Mexican and U.S. governments.
On Thursday, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Mexican Foreign Minister Juan Ramon de la Fuente issued a joint statement after a phone call, saying they agreed “more needs to be done to confront our common threats.”
Sheinbaum addressed the call at a news conference Friday morning, saying the Mexican government has made significant progress, citing a sharp decline in the homicide rate, a significant drop in the amount of fentanyl seized by U.S. authorities at the border, and sparse immigration.
The President also reiterated his call for the U.S. government to stop arms trafficking from the United States to Mexico, and emphasized that drug use in the United States is a key factor in increasing cartel violence in Mexico.
“The other side has to play its part, too. This consumption crisis that they’re having also needs to be addressed from a public health perspective through educational campaigns,” Sheinbaum said.
Mr. Sheinbaum and Mr. Trump also spoke by phone last week, with the Mexican leader telling the other side that U.S. intervention in Mexico was unnecessary.
