The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has warned American airlines to be cautious when flying over the Eastern Pacific Ocean, Central America, and South America due to potential military activities.
International news agencies reported that the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued a warning to U.S. airline pilots about flying over the Eastern Pacific Ocean near Mexico, Central America, and parts of South America, citing the possibility of “military activity” and interference with satellite navigation signals.
The warning was issued last Friday through a series of Notices to Airmen (NOTAMs), effective for 60 days. The FAA stated there is “a risk to aircraft at all altitudes, including during overflight and during takeoff and landing.”
“The FAA has issued NOTAMs for specific areas within air traffic control zones over the waters of Mexico, Central America, Panama, Bogota, Guayaquil, and Mazatlan, as well as over the Eastern Pacific Ocean airspace,” the FAA told USA Today.
It is still unclear what prompted the warning requiring air operators to “exercise caution.” However, in recent months, the U.S. military has conducted operations attacking vessels suspected of smuggling drugs in the Caribbean Sea and Eastern Pacific Ocean, sinking over 30 boats and causing hundreds of fatalities.
In November, the FAA also warned all pilots to exercise caution when flying over Venezuelan airspace “due to deteriorating security conditions and increased military activity.”
In December, a JetBlue flight from Curaçao in the Caribbean had to suspend its climb to avoid a collision with a U.S. Air Force refueling aircraft.
In early January, the Trump administration conducted military operations in Venezuela and raided the residence of the dictator Nicolás Maduro and his wife in Caracas.
Recently, Trump told Fox News that the U.S. will expand operations to eradicate drug trafficking groups further.
“We have intercepted 97% of the drugs coming in by water, and now we are going to start addressing the problem on land,” Trump told Fox News host Sean Hannity earlier in January. “The drug cartels are controlling Mexico. It’s very sad to watch and see what is happening to that country.”
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Source:foxnews