No one saw it coming, but on Saturday, January 3, 2026, in the early hours of the morning, the world changed. While many Americans were still recovering from New Year's Eve or packing up from their vacation, they heard that U.S. troops had begun a risky military operation in Venezuela.
The president and first lady of Venezuela are Nicolás Maduro and Cilia Flores. Maduro was quickly caught in Caracas and flown out of the country to face cocaine trafficking charges in New York. The operation used airstrikes, special troops, and accurate data.
“We came to unplug, but getting stuck to news alerts wasn't the plan.
But even though the news was full of global headlines, thousands of regular vacationers in the Caribbean were caught in the crossfire—literally. Because of safety concerns about the ongoing military operations, the Federal Aviation Administration quickly put strict limits on airspace over Venezuela and parts of the surrounding area.
Sudden Military Operation Disrupts Caribbean Holiday Travel
The busy holiday return rush turned into a huge mess almost overnight, with hundreds of planes delayed and people stuck far from home. Picture this: It's the weekend after the holidays, and beaches in Puerto Rico, Aruba, and the Virgin Islands are full of people who are getting the last of the sun before they have to go back to work and school.
People from the United States have been going to the Caribbean for a long time to escape the cold in winter. This year was no different. Travel experts had said that millions of people would be traveling by land and air, with tropical islands being the most popular places to visit after the holidays.
But then, all commercial flights were stopped from flying over Venezuela, and U.S. airlines were grounded in most of the eastern Caribbean. JetBlue, Southwest, Delta, and American Airlines all quickly answered. That day, JetBlue canceled more than 215 flights because military operations were going on just south of the islands, blocking the airspace.
Puerto Rico's San Juan, the U.S. Virgin Islands' St. Thomas and St. Croix, Aruba, Curacao, Antigua, St. Lucia, and Barbados were the hardest hit.
Airports in the eastern Caribbean saw massive cancellations and stranded passengers.
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Airports in Chaos as Passengers Face Unexpected Delays
People were getting angry at airports all over the area. Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in San Juan, which is one of the main airports for travel between the U.S. and the Caribbean, had about 60% of its flights canceled, according to tracking sites like FlightAware.
People were walking around the terminals. Some people were sleeping on the floor with their bags as pillows, while others were always looking for information on airline apps. A tweet from the airport on social media made it clear that the limits were because of the "security situation related to military activity" in Venezuela.
Air Canada and other foreign airlines kept flying as usual, but some Canadian airlines, like WestJet, stopped flying certain routes for safety reasons. Flights in the United States were the most affected.
The effects were huge, even though this is still a busy time for travel. Even though the busiest holiday rush was over, many people were still on vacation or going home before Monday.
AAA had said that the Caribbean was a popular place for people who wanted to spend more time on vacation.
Personal Stories of Stranded Families and Extended Stays
For instance, take a look at the story of a family from the Washington, D.C. area. Lou Levine, his wife, and their three kids were going to Puerto Rico for a week to ring in the new year. They were supposed to leave on Saturday morning, but the cancellations came.
They woke up to terrible news and spent hours on hold with JetBlue before turning to social media for help. The airline finally got them on a later flight that day, but it meant their vacation would last an extra week that they hadn't planned for.
Levine, who manages software, thought he was lucky to have a job that let him work when he wanted, but the extra work kept piling up: longer pet sitting, car rentals, and the general annoyance of having to change his routine. His daughter was in high school and would miss classes.
He loved the island atmosphere, but the unexpected costs hurt. People told the same stories all over the place. Queen Beatrix International Airport in Aruba, which is only a short flight from Venezuela and a popular place for American tourists to go, was a mess all day with flights coming and going.
It hurt Barbados too. Prime Minister Mia Mottley told the country that the fallout was "extremely disruptive" not just to the airport but also to cruise ports.
Quick Resolution and Return to Normal Operations
For instance, take a look at the story of a family from the Washington, D.C. area. Lou Levine, his wife, and their three kids were going to Puerto Rico for a week to ring in the new year. They were supposed to leave on Saturday morning, but the cancellations came.
They woke up to terrible news and spent hours on hold with JetBlue before turning to social media for help. The airline finally got them on a later flight that day, but it meant their vacation would last an extra week that they hadn't planned for.
Levine, who manages software, thought he was lucky to have a job that let him work when he wanted, but the extra work kept piling up: longer pet sitting, car rentals, and the general annoyance of having to change his routine. His daughter was in high school and would miss classes.
He loved the island atmosphere, but the unexpected costs hurt. People told the same stories all over the place. Queen Beatrix International Airport in Aruba, which is only a short flight from Venezuela and a popular place for American tourists to go, was a mess all day with flights coming and going.
It hurt Barbados too. Prime Minister Mia Mottley told the country that the fallout was "extremely disruptive" not just to the airport but also to cruise ports.
Broader Impacts and Lessons for Travelers
Many flights from the eastern Caribbean rely on Venezuelan airspace, so when it was closed, planes had to take longer routes or stay on the ground. In the grand scheme of things, the U.S. government did a brave thing by making the operation look like a law enforcement effort against people who had been charged instead of a bigger war.
Years ago, Maduro was accused of crimes related to narco-terrorism. Some Venezuelans living abroad were happy that he was gone, but people all over the world were angry about it.
It was less about politics and more about getting back to real life for the vacationers who were stuck. Many people enjoyed their long days at the beach, but some just wanted to go home.
One visitor said in an interview, "We came to unplug, but getting stuck to news alerts wasn't the plan." In the end, the quick resolution of the airspace issue stopped things from getting worse in the long run.
Travel experts say that people who travel should always have flexible plans, travel insurance, and notifications turned on in their apps.
Benjamin Hayes
Business Journalist
Benjamin Hayes is a seasoned business journalist with a special focus on corporate finance, global markets, and entrepreneurial trends. He has covered major startups, tech investments, and economic shifts in multiple sectors.
