Do Not Travel to Venezuela: U.S. Warns of Growing Risk as Detentions and Gray Zone Threats Rise
Executive Summary
The U.S. government has reissued its Level 4 travel advisory against Venezuela, warning Americans to avoid the country entirely as it now detains more U.S. citizens than any other foreign nation. While the Maduro regime intensifies repression domestically, it also leverages irregular warfare tactics—including criminal proxies, mass migration, and strategic destabilization—posing a broader hemispheric threat. The presence of U.S.-designated terrorist group Tren de Aragua inside the United States further elevates the risk, highlighting Venezuela’s transformation from a failed state into an orchestrator of hybrid conflict.
Analysis
The State Department’s May 27 advisory renewed its stark warning: Venezuela is not just dangerous—it is uniquely hostile toward American citizens. At least eight Americans are confirmed detained, many on spurious charges, and more may be held incommunicado. Officials emphasize these individuals are targeted not for crimes, but for their nationality. The reissuance of the “Do Not Travel” advisory to embassies across the region underscores the seriousness of the risk. The U.S. government cannot provide consular assistance, and even being near the Venezuelan border in neighboring countries has resulted in Americans being wrongfully detained.
This deterioration in human rights and safety coincides with the Maduro regime’s sweeping consolidation of domestic power. Following opposition-boycotted elections in which the ruling PSUV party claimed 23 of 24 governorships, Caracas has effectively neutralized political resistance through arrests, intimidation, and control of the electoral council. High-profile opposition leaders remain in hiding or exile, and the regime continues to openly defy international norms—including by staging symbolic elections in Guyana’s Essequibo region, in violation of International Court of Justice orders.
At the same time, Venezuela’s threat extends far beyond its borders. Through a deliberate strategy of “gray war,” the regime is exporting instability. Tren de Aragua, once a prison gang, now functions as a transnational paramilitary network with presence in the U.S. and across Latin America. The Trump administration’s designation of the group as a Foreign Terrorist Organization reflects intelligence assessments that TdA operates as a proxy of the Venezuelan state. They are not simply criminal actors—they are instruments of irregular warfare tasked with undermining social order in host countries.
Mass migration is another tool in Caracas’ arsenal. Over 7.7 million Venezuelans have fled the country, burdening neighboring nations’ infrastructure and security systems. While often framed solely as a humanitarian issue, the Maduro regime sees this outflow as strategic. It offloads internal pressure, creates external chaos, and generates billions in remittances—many of which are tied to illicit channels and even crypto transactions.
The U.S. must contend not just with the consequences of Venezuela’s collapse, but with a regime that sees chaos as leverage. Its partnerships with actors like Cuba, Iran, and potentially China deepen the danger. Caracas benefits from these alliances through financial support, shared surveillance platforms, and mutual ideological objectives. The Maduro regime’s illicit networks are entrenched, state-backed, and increasingly emboldened.
Preventing escalation requires a shift in U.S. strategy. Law enforcement must target Venezuelan-backed networks not as isolated gangs, but as hostile operatives. Financial pressure—via sanctions, enforcement of tariffs, and exposure of illegal gold and oil operations—must be intensified. And new regional coalitions must be built to isolate and counteract Venezuela’s gray war tactics.
This isn’t just about wrongful detentions or diplomatic disputes. It’s about recognizing that Venezuela’s regime is waging a quiet war—one that threatens democratic institutions, regional stability, and even U.S. homeland security. The response must be as strategic as the threat.
