The United States has issued a renewed and urgent warning advising its citizens to leave Venezuela immediately, citing a volatile security environment and severe risks to personal safety.
In a notice dated January 10, 2026, U.S. authorities reiterated a long-standing travel warning against Venezuela, urging Americans not to travel to the country and calling on those already there to depart as soon as it is safe to do so.
“Do Not Travel to Venezuela; Depart Immediately,” the advisory states.
According to the warning, the security situation in Venezuela remains fluid, with risks that have persisted for several years.
The U.S. Embassy in Bogotá, Colombia, which now handles Venezuela-related matters, said it continues to caution U.S. citizens against travel to the South American nation, “reiterating warnings against travel to Venezuela dating to 2019.”
With the resumption of some international commercial flights, U.S. citizens currently in Venezuela have been urged to make immediate plans to leave.
“As international flights have resumed, U.S. citizens in Venezuela should leave the country immediately,” the advisory said, while noting that flight availability may be limited and demand high.
The warning highlights specific security threats on the ground, including the presence of armed civilian groups.
There are “reports of groups of armed militias, known as colectivos, setting up roadblocks and searching vehicles for evidence of U.S. citizenship or support for the United States,” the notice said.
Americans have been advised to remain vigilant and exercise extreme caution, particularly when travelling by road.
Beyond security concerns, the advisory points to persistent infrastructure challenges, including intermittent power and utility outages across the country, which further complicate daily life and emergency response.
Venezuela remains under the highest U.S. Travel Advisory classification, Level 4: Do Not Travel.
The advisory cites wrongful detention, torture in detention, terrorism, kidnapping, arbitrary enforcement of local laws, crime, civil unrest, and poor health infrastructure as major risks facing Americans.
The United States also reminded citizens that consular assistance is unavailable inside Venezuela.
In March 2019, the State Department withdrew all diplomatic personnel from the U.S. Embassy in Caracas and suspended operations.
“All consular services in Venezuela, routine and emergency, remain suspended,” the advisory said, adding that the U.S. government “continues to be unable to provide emergency services to U.S. citizens in Venezuela.”
Americans who choose not to depart have been urged to establish multiple lines of communication with family and friends abroad, prepare contingency plans, and enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program to receive security updates.
The escalation of tension between the two countries follows the arrest and of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, in early January during a U.S. special forces operation in Caracas and subsequently transported to the United States, where he has appeared in federal court in New York.
The U.S. has charged Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, with narcotics-related offenses, including alleged drug trafficking and weapons charges.
Maduro pleaded not guilty in Manhattan federal court, asserting that he is the legitimate president of Venezuela and describing his capture as equivalent to someone being “kidnapped,” according to court reporting.
