The U.S. government has issued an urgent security alert telling American citizens in Venezuela to leave the country immediately as safety conditions deteriorate and the U.S. cannot provide emergency assistance.
In a message from the U.S. Embassy in Caracas, officials said the security situation remains fluid and cited reports of armed militia groups — known locally as “colectivos” — setting up roadblocks and searching vehicles for evidence of U.S. citizenship or support for the United States.
The alert urges U.S. citizens to remain vigilant and exercise caution when traveling by road and to take precautions if they decide to depart, especially as international flights have resumed after disruptions tied to the recent political upheaval.
Venezuela remains at the highest travel advisory level — Level 4: Do Not Travel — due to severe risks, including wrongful detention, torture, terrorism, kidnapping, arbitrary enforcement of local laws, civil unrest, crime, and poor health infrastructure.
The alert notes that the U.S. government cannot provide routine or emergency consular services in Venezuela, as diplomatic personnel were withdrawn in March 2019 and embassy operations remain suspended.
While the Venezuelan government has dismissed parts of the warning as exaggerated, U.S. officials are urging citizens to leave “as soon as they feel it is safe to do so.”
This update comes amid ongoing tensions following the U.S. military operation that captured former President Nicolás Maduro, which has heightened insecurity and prompted international flight resumptions.
