Advisory - Southern Caribbean, Venezuelan waters

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Incident Details

Incident Date & Time:

N/A

Location:

Southern Caribbean, Venezuelan waters

Latitude/Longitude: 

11° 0' 0.00" N, 66° 0' 0.00" W

Vessel Name, Type, Flag and Status:

N/A

Incident Type:

Advisory

Crew status

N/A

Incident Details

Description

On 3 January 2026 at approximately 0346 UTC, the United States carried out a military operation in Venezuela resulting in the detention and removal of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife. The situation in Venezuela remains fluid, with details still emerging around short-term governance and security conditions.

At this time, there are no confirmed reports of unusual or hostile maritime activity affecting private vessels following these events. Regular cruising activity continues in the southern Caribbean, though mariners may notice increased naval and coast guard presence closer to Venezuelan waters. No exclusion zones or navigation restrictions have been announced for international waters.

Ports are operating normally in Trinidad & Tobago, the ABC islands (Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao), and Colombia. Some air travel and cruise operations have experienced limited disruption related to regional airspace management, primarily affecting airline routing and crew movements. These aviation measures do not indicate port closures.

The Trinidad & Tobago Coast Guard advises: "Continue normal everyday activities. Patrols and surveillance will continue as usual. Sailors should continue to file float plans when sailing to or from Trinidad & Tobago and the islands north." Increased coast guard visibility in the region is expected and precautionary. The Caribbean Safety and Security Net (CSSN) incident database shows no reports or alerts related to Venezuela-linked activity or hostile actions toward private vessels in the southern Caribbean.

Key findings

This advisory represents a proactive maritime security communication following a significant geopolitical event rather than a direct maritime incident. The timing and scope of the advisory demonstrates effective coordination between regional maritime authorities to provide situational awareness during a period of potential instability. The specific mention of increased naval and coast guard presence near Venezuelan waters indicates a measured security posture designed to monitor for potential spillover effects while maintaining normal maritime operations.

The advisory's emphasis on maintaining regular cruising activities while recommending enhanced communication protocols reflects a balanced approach to risk management. The coordination with U.S. Southern Command for float plan filing suggests elevated intelligence gathering and vessel tracking capabilities are being employed as precautionary measures during this transitional period.

Recommendations

- Maintain regular contact with local authorities, marinas, and port officials when operating in the southern Caribbean.
- File voluntary float plans with U.S. Southern Command and monitor VHF radio for official communications.
- Maintain prudent offshore clearance from Venezuelan waters and avoid interaction with military operations.

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Disclaimer
You have received this report as part of your organisation’s subscription. Castor Vali assessment and advice is given based on the information received and processed by us and the surrounding circumstances known to us to exist at the time. Subsequent changes to relevant information or the surrounding circumstances may affect the reliability of our assessment and advice, but we do not accept responsibility for that effect. We do not accept responsibility for the outcome of any action taken or not taken as a result of our assessment and advice unless the possibility of that action being taken or not taken is set out in specific terms in our instructions.

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