MIAMI — To get from Miami to Venezuela, you have had to connect somewhere else, but now several major airlines have suspended operations into the South American country as tensions between the U.S. and Venezuela continues to rise.

Several commercial flights in and out of Venezuela were canceled Monday night after the FAA warned of a worsening security situation, saying, in part:

“Threats could pose a potential risk to aircraft at all altitudes, including during overflight, the arrival and departure phases of flight, and/or airports and aircraft on the ground.”

Airlines that indefinitely suspended flights include Iberia, TAP Air, Avianca, LATAM, GOL, and Caribbean Airlines, while Turkish Airlines has temporarily halted flights for the next few days.

On Monday, the Trump administration once again ramped up pressure on Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, marking the Cartel De Los Soles as a terrorist organization and accusing Maduro of funding narcoterrorism, something he denies.

In a statement, the Venezuelan government called the designation a “ridiculous fabrication,” writing, in part:

“This new maneuver will follow the same fate as previous and recurring aggressions against our country: failure,”

All of this is taking place during a massive American military build-up in the Caribbean.

The world’s largest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, is in the region, while the U.S. has conducted at least 21 strikes on alleged drug carrying boats.

It’s believed over 80 people have been killed in those attacks.

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