Pentagon Invokes No Flight Zone off Puerto Rico

M.A. Dworkin

Puerto Rico - The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), acting under the direction of the Department of War (DoD), has issued a new Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) establishing temporary flight restrictions over an area off the southeast coast of Ceiba, Puerto Rico. 

The order, identified as FDC 5/9106, takes effect on November 1, 2025, and will remain active through March 31, 2026.

According to the FAA, the restrictions are for “Special Security Reasons.” The affected area extends approximately 18 11’07N to 17 52’20”N latitude and 65 40’29”W to 65 36’02”W longitude, covering airspace from 2,500 feet up to 5,000 feet above mean sea level. 

The notice states that “no pilots may operate an aircraft in the areas covered by this NOTAM (except as described), “adding that only DoD participating aircraft operations under the direction of DoD are authorized in the airspace.”  

The FAA emphasized that all aircraft entering or exiting the temporary flight restriction (TFR) must be on an active IFR or VFR flight plan with a discrete transponder code and maintain two-way communication with air traffic control. 

While the agency did not specify the nature of the “special security reasons,” the timing of the restriction coincides with heightened U.S. military activity across the Caribbean. 

Internal U.S. government documents indicate that Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro recently sent letters to Moscow and Beijing, along with a plea to Iran requesting expanded military cooperation including “missiles, radars, and upgraded aircraft,” as American naval and air forces increase their presence in the region. 

The Trump Administration has identified multiple targets inside Venezuela, including airstrips, ports, and naval facilities allegedly tied to drug trafficking networks. It is reported that U.S. officials are weighing military options to “degrade narcotics infrastructure” linked to the Maduro government. 

In recent days, U.S. military movements have intensified near Venezuela’s coast. Two B-18 Lancer bombers reportedly flew within 50 kilometers of the Venezuelan capital of Caracas, marking one of the closest fly-bys since tensions escalated earlier this year. The guided missile destroyer USS Gravely also arrived in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, as the world’s largest aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford maneuvered closer to Venezuelan waters. Maduro has condemned the deployments, describing them as an attempt to fabricate “a new eternal war” against his country. 

The new military movements come in the wake of the U.S. bombing of at least 14 go-fast boats off the coasts of Venezuela  suspected of transporting drugs from Venezuela to the U.S. mainland. At least 60 suspected drug traffickers were killed in the attacks.

U.S. defense planners have not confirmed any pending operations, but officials said contingency plans remain under review. The five-month restriction near Puerto Rico - an area known for U.S. naval and intelligence operations - suggests ongoing coordination between Puerto Rican civilian aviation authorities and U.S. defense agencies as Washington expands its posture in the Caribbean theater.   

The new flight restriction near Puerto Rico underscores growing security concerns in the Caribbean as the U.S. military increases surveillance and readiness amid deteriorating relations with Venezuela.