The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a series of warnings Friday telling pilots to exercise caution when flying over the eastern Pacific Ocean near Mexico, Central America and parts of South America.

The agency cited potential military activities and satellite navigation interference as reasons for the alerts, Reuters reported. FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford told the wire service earlier this week that there had been good coordination between the agency and the U.S. military before the recent Venezuela operation.

President Donald Trump told Fox News host Sean Hannity in early January that the U.S. plans to expand operations against drug cartels. (RELATED: Trump Teases Mexico As Next Potential Target For Military Intervention After Capture Of Venezuela Dictator)

“We’ve knocked out 97% of the drugs coming in by water, and we are going to start now hitting land,” Trump said. “The cartels are running Mexico. It’s very sad to watch and see what’s happened to that country.”

The notices took effect Jan. 16 and will remain in place through March 17, according to aviation trade publication AVweb. The warnings cover a wide area, including the Mexico Flight Information Region, the Mazatlán Oceanic FIR, Central America and Panama FIRs, and the Bogota and Guayaquil FIRs off the coasts of Colombia and Ecuador.

🚨🇺🇸 BREAKING: U.S. WARNS AIRLINES TO STEER CLEAR OF CENTRAL/SOUTH AMERICA AIRSPACE

The government just told airlines to watch it when flying over places like Mexico, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, and parts of the Pacific.

They say it’s because of “possible military operations and… pic.twitter.com/Y6uWNDCrC2

— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) January 16, 2026

The FAA said potential risks exist for aircraft at all altitudes during overflight and arrival and departure phases. The advisories notably do not include airspace immediately over or surrounding Venezuela.

The notices follow nearly four months of U.S. military strikes against drug-trafficking boats in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific. That campaign included 35 known strikes that killed at least 115 people according to the Trump administration, as reported by the Associated Press.

On Jan. 3, U.S. forces conducted a large-scale strike across Caracas that resulted in the capture of Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro and his wife.

A JetBlue flight from Curaçao in December halted its ascent to avoid colliding with a U.S. Air Force refueling tanker about 40 miles off the Venezuelan coast, the AP reported. The military aircraft did not have its transponder activated at the time.

The FAA warnings will remain in effect for 60 days.