Couple Missing Since Thanksgiving After Failing to Return Home to Texas Following Family Celebration

Texas Department of Public Safety

NEED TO KNOW

• Linda and Gary Lightfoot, an elderly couple from Lubbock, Texas, have been missing since Thanksgiving

• Chief of Panhandle Police Department, Sace Hardman, told a local media outlet that family members reported the couple missing on Friday, Nov. 28, after they failed to return home following the holiday celebration

• The disappearance of Linda, 81, and Gary, 82, "poses a credible threat to their health and safety as Gary Lightfoot is oxygen dependent," the Carson County Sheriff's Office said

Authorities in Texas are asking for the public's assistance in locating a couple in their eighties who've been missing since Thanksgiving.

On Sunday, Nov. 30, authorities in Texas issued a Silver Alert for Linda and Gary Lightfoot after the Texas Department of Public Safety got involved in the ongoing search for the couple. The Carson County Sheriff's Office (COSO) shared details about Linda, 81, and Gary, 82, alongside their photos in a post onFacebook.

The pair was last seen leaving Panhandle on Thursday, but never made it to their home in Lubbock, Texas.

It is believed that they were traveling in a silver 2024 Toyota Camry with the license plate TXLP TWN0925, said the COSO.

Texas Department of Public Safety

"Neither Linda or Gary Lightfoot has a cellphone or other traceable instruments," officials said. "Carson CO SO believes the couple's disappearance poses a credible threat to their health and safety as Gary Lightfoot is oxygen dependent."

Chief of Panhandle Police Department, Sace Hardman, told local news outletKAMCthat family members initially reported the couple's disappearance on Friday and said they never made it home to Lubbock. Hardman said the family told police the couple left Panhandle at around 3 p.m. local time the day prior after celebrating Thanksgiving.

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Authorities spotted their vehicle near Santa Rosa or San Jon, New Mexico, but were then unable to find it after the sighting, the outlet reported.

Linda was last seen wearing a black and white blouse, a bulky silver necklace and dark pants, according to the Silver Alert. She is 5 feet, 3 inches tall and weighs around 128 pounds.

Gary was last seen wearing a gray sweater and black sweats. He is 5 feet, 9 inches tall and weighs 197 pounds.

Silver Alerts aim to notify the public of missing elderly people who have documented conditions such as Alzheimer's disease, perFox 4. Silver Alert requests are typically made within 72 hours, following an initial investigation into the disappearance of a person over 65 years of age.

Panhandle PD, Carscon COSO, New Mexico State Police and the Texas Rangers are collaboratively searching for Linda and Gary.

Helicopters and drones have been used by New Mexico State Police and Quay County officials amid the search,News Channel 10reported.

Anyone with information is urged to contact the Carson County Sheriff's Office at 806-537-3511 or call 911.

Panhandle PD, Carscon COSO, New Mexico State Police and Quay County did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for further information.

Read the original article onPeople

byVaclavien Pynzarien

in

December 02, 2025

Couple Missing Since Thanksgiving After Failing to Return Home to Texas Following Family Celebration

Texas Department of Public Safety NEED TO KNOW Linda and Gary Lightfoot, an elderly couple from Lubbock, Texas, have been missing since T...

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Fear and anxiety. Afghans in the US seek answers after DC shooting

LOUISVILLE, Kentucky – More than four years after a harrowing escape from Afghanistan in 2021 asKabul fell to the Taliban, Tamim Bedar finally got his green card in March.

Bedar, 45, who spent years supporting U.S. goals during America's 20-year war in Afghanistan, has since built a life in Kentucky: Aiding other refugees, seeing his kids thrive in school and working on a master's degree.

His aging parents, who joined him in 2022, were granted asylum and are awaiting approval on their own green cards – further securing his family roots in a peaceful new home here even as his brother remains trapped in Afghanistan.

But now the ground is shifting underneath his Afghan community and others like it around the nation in the wake of theNov. 26 shooting in Washington, D.C. of two national guard members.

The suspect is an Afghan national and that revelation has led to policy changes, political fallout and anxiety for Bedar and others.

Across the country, shaken Afghan communities have strongly condemned the shooting while pleading to not let one person's violence define a community.

"There's a lot of fear within the community that there will be collective punishment because of the act of one individual," Bedar said.

​​The suspect, 29-year-old Rahmanullah Lakanwal, is one of the more than 190,000 Afghans who resettled in the United States since 2021 through Operation Allies Welcome or Enduring Welcome, programs created by the Biden administration for Afghans fleeing the Taliban takeover.

Authorities say it's still unclear why the suspect took aim at the patrol in an attack that killed West Virginia National Guard memberSarah Beckstrom, 20, and critically wounded guard memberAndrew Wolfe, 24.

Vigil held for slain National Guard member Sarah Beckstrom

In response, PresidentDonald Trumpand his administration halted Afghan immigration requests, called for re-examining asylum cases approved under the Biden administration and ordered a review of green cards issued to citizens of 19 countries – including Afghanistan – that were part of a June travel ban.

"The Trump Administration is now actively reexamining all of the Afghans imported into the country byJoe Biden," White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Dec. 1.

Shawn VanDiver, a veteran who is head of the nonprofit AfghanEvac, has argued that the shooting is being used as justification for already planned restrictions on immigration while causing strains on allies and their families who fought alongside U.S. troops.

"Our community is seeing a surge in fear — people asking whether they should move, whether they should show up to check-ins, whether a traffic stop or a paperwork glitch could upend everything," he wrote in a Substack post.

More:As a young Afghan interpreter, he helped a US officer. Then he needed help getting out

Seeking asylum in the U.S.

Lakanwal moved to the United States in 2021 as part of a Biden-era evacuation program for Afghans who worked with the American military, during which time he would have been vetted by U.S. officials. He was part of a CIA-backed local unit in Afghanistan,CIA Director John Ratcliffe said.They were alsoknown as "Zero Units."

He applied for asylum in December 2024 and was approved on April 23, according to a document reviewed by Reuters and other media outlets.

Lakanwalhad mental health issues and was upset about the casualties the unit caused, a childhood friend identified only as Muhammad, told the New York Times.

A community advocate believed he was suffering from PTSD because of his work in Afghanistan and became increasingly worried because of his depressive and erratic behavior. The advocate reached out to a refugee organization for help, according to emails obtained by USA TODAY. The emails were first reported by Associated Press.

In Salem, Oregon, Nasirullah Safi, an Afghan who worked as a combat interpreter for the military before coming to the U.S. and working for a resettlement agency, said he knows some former Afghan fighters from similar units who have battled PTSD.

"They carry some heavy, heavy trauma with them," he said, which for some came atop struggles with a new culture, language and challenges supporting their families.

Safi, who haswritten about his experiences, said the suspect's nationality sparked sharp anxiety in his community.

On Thanksgiving Day, he said a handful of resettled Afghans were so shaken – in part by angry social media posts – they weren't comfortable working rideshare jobs and came to his home to collect themselves.

Afghanistan: America's longest war

He, too, was heartbroken to learn the suspect's identity and the fallout on the larger community.

"This is our forever home, and we love this country. We fought for this country, and we will do it again in a heartbeat, no hesitation," he said, which made reading such anti-Afghan sentiment painful.

In Boise Idaho, Yasmin Aguilar has lived for 25 years since resettling from Afghanistan. Since the U.S. pullout, the dangers for relatives stuck in Pakistan have grown. After Trump took office, he halted most refugee processing.

The current rhetoric makes that reunion seem like an increasingly distant possibility.

Meanwhile, she said some in her local Afghan community are rattled by the backlash, asking: "Should we go work, or will we be taken?....Should we send our kids to school or not?"

Online, Aguilar pleaded for people not to equate the shooting suspect with all Afghans. One commenter's reply: Go home.

"It's a scary time for everyone," she said.

In Houston, home to about 15,000 Afghans, those with pending asylum or green-card applications were increasingly unsure what's ahead – while others worry that vetted immigration statuses once considered safe might be yanked away.

Ahmadullah Sediqi, a former military interpreter from 2010 to 2014, and community advocate there, said the shooting was "an act of terror everyone condemns."

He said refugees and those who come on special-immigrant visas like himself require substantial vetting. Now, those waiting for years for their applications for various statuses, such as asylum or permanent residence, were unsure what would happen.

There are an estimated 265,000 Afghan visa cases pending, including about 180,000 in the SIV or special immigrant visas for those who directly worked with US forces, nowfacing an indefinite freeze, according to AfghanEvac.

And if they get deported for some reason, where will they go? Many fear reprisals or killings in the hands of the Taliban.

"We were fighting with them for the past 20 years. Then how should we go to the enemy and say, 'Hey, we are here,'" Sediqi said.

More:Tens of thousands of Afghan allies were left behind. Why have so few reached US safety?

A lot of questions ahead for Afghan community

Back in Louisville, Bedar believes he would be relatively safe if his green card was reviewed because of his past and public record of work for aid and development organizations supporting the U.S. mission, including the U.S.-based Asia Foundation and the Danish Agency for International Development Assistance.

Under various roles, he helped advise top Afghan government officials and worked on issues from reintegrating militia fighters to reconstruction.

Whether his parents will get their green cards approved, or when, he's not sure – or who in the community might get a letter from the government about a status they once thought was secure.

For now: It's a lot of question marks, he said, for a lot of people.

Contributing: Cybele Mayes-Osterman

Chris Kenning is a national correspondent. Reach him at ckenning@usatoday.com

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:DC shooting leaves fear, anxiety in Afghan communities across US

byVaclavien Pynzarien

in

December 02, 2025

Fear and anxiety. Afghans in the US seek answers after DC shooting

LOUISVILLE, Kentucky – More than four years after a harrowing escape from Afghanistan in 2021 asKabul fell to the Taliban...

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New England Patriots down New York Giants to extend NFL-best win streak to 10 games

It's a good time to be aNew England Patriotsfan.

Monday night saw a continuation of the team's impressive season as the Patriots brushed aside the New York Giants 33-15 to record their 10th consecutive victory.

Quarterback Drake Maye led the way as the franchise recorded its longest win streak since also winning 10 straight back in2015.

Maye threw 24-of-31 for 282 yards, with two touchdowns and no interceptions on a night that saw the Patriots move atop the AFC.

New England also became the first team in theNFLto record 11 wins this season, improving its record on the year to 11-2.

"Just trying to be the face, trying to be the conductor," Maye said postgame. "Trying to want the pressure. You want the ball in my hands."

In truth the game went as many had expected, with the Giants coming up short on the day in almost every facet of the game – New England had 395 total yards compared to New York's 239 – and the contest was effectively out of reach by halftime with the Pats up 30-7.

New York has now lost seven consecutive games and even returning rookie QB Jaxson Dart couldn't turn the miserable tide for the franchise.

Dart had missed the previous two games with a concussion and tried to breathe a bit of life into the team on his return – he finished 17-of-24 for 139 yards and a touchdown.

"We were just scratching and clawing. You're trying to find any way to catch up," Dart said after the game.

The rookie though was clear about the result despite his solid performance: "Not good enough because we lost."

For the Patriots, things are looking much brighter.

Head coach Mike Vrabel was full of praise for his team, notably the consistent performances from Maye.

Heading into the Patriots' bye week, the 23-year-oldleads the NFLin passing yards (3,412), completion percentage (71.5%) and passer rating (111.9) and sits fourth with 23 touchdown passes. It's the type of play that has put him in contention for the MVP award in just his second season in the league.

"I think he's realizing what he can be and the impact that he makes on this offense being the conductor," Vrabel said, perNFL.com.

"He's hard on himself. I think that he challenges himself, as well as his coaches. He means a great deal to this football team."

A win in their next game against Buffalo would clinch the AFC East for the Patriots, snapping the Bills' run of five straight division titles.

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byVaclavien Pynzarien

in

December 02, 2025

New England Patriots down New York Giants to extend NFL-best win streak to 10 games

It's a good time to be aNew England Patriotsfan. Monday night saw a continuation of the team's impressive season as the Patriots b...

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College football bowl projections: CFP race, postseason lineup down to final weekend

We know the 82 teams that will participate in the college football postseason. What we don't know is where they will play with theCollege Football Playoffrace entering the final weekend of the regular season.

The questions that remain revolve aroundthe conference championship gamesthat feature playoff contenders, including games in the American and Sun Belt that will decide the Group of Five representative of the field.

It appears eight or nine teams are locked in. The playoff rankings Tuesday might adjust this perspective, but it's fair to assume Ohio State, Indiana, Georgia, Texas Tech, Oregon, Mississippi, Texas A&M and Oklahoma are locks. Notre Dame appears in good shape with its season complete but that could change after the final weekend.

The fun begins withAlabama, which was ranked No. 10 by the committee last week. Should the Crimson Tide - currently in the final at-large spot, - fall from the field with a loss to Georgia in the SEC title game? The nature of the loss will have an impact, as could the result of Texas Tech and Brigham Young in the Big 12 title game. Should the Cougars beat theRed Raiders, they'd be in the field and likely knock out a three-loss Alabama. The Crimson Tide could be out even if BYU loses with Miami, Utah and Vanderbilt sitting behind the Cougars.

The winner of North Texas and Tulane will be in. But a second Group of Five contender could disrupt things. If James Madison wins the Sun Belt, the Dukes could claim a spot if five-loss Duke wins the ACC title game against Virginia.

Further down the postseason, there were exactly 82 teams finishing with the six wins needed for bowl eligibility. Two of those came from transition teams Missouri State and Delaware that would not allowed to participate in the postseason unless there were open spots. Welcome to the party, fans of theBearsand Blue Hens.

Notes: Not all conferences will fulfill their bowl allotment. An asterisk represents a replacement pick.Legacy Pac-12 schools in other conferences will fulfill existing Pac-12 bowl agreements through the 2025 season.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:College football bowl projections for CFP, postseason lineup

byVaclavien Pynzarien

in

December 02, 2025

College football bowl projections: CFP race, postseason lineup down to final weekend

We know the 82 teams that will participate in the college football postseason. What we don't know is where they will ...

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NFL's biggest field goal fails: Where does Younghoe Koo rank?

TheNew England Patriots routed the New York Giantsin front of a national television audience on"Monday Night Football"at Gillette Stadium on Monday, Dec. 1.

The win was the streaking Patriots' 10th in a row as New Englandowns the NFL's best recordafterWeek 13.

However, what fans might remember most from the Patriots'33-15win over the Giants might bea real unfortunate moment for New York's kicker, Younghoe Koo. It is arguably the biggest blooper of the2025 season, and among the NFL's biggest field goal blunders.

Here we've listed some of the all-time NFL field goal fails:

Week 5: Buffalo Bills wide receiver Curtis Samuel makes a catch against the New England Patriots at Highmark Stadium. The Bills wore their new "Rivalries" uniform for the "Sunday Night Football" game, which the Patriots won, 23-20.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Week 5: Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield awaits the snap against the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field. Both teams wore throwback uniforms in the Buccaneers' 38-35 win. The Buccaneers and Seahawks entered the NFL together as expansion teams in 1976.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Week 4: Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (10) hands the ball off to running back J.K. Dobbins during the "Monday Night Football" game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Empower Field at Mile High. The Broncos wore their "Midnight Navy" uniforms for the 28-3 win.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Week 4: Miami Dolphins running back De'von Achane rushes the ball against the New York Jets during a 27-21 win on "Monday Night Football" at Hard Rock Stadium. The Dolphins wore their new their Nike "Rivalries" uniforms – the team version dubbed "Dark Waters."

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Week 4: The Arizona Cardinals defense tackles Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Tory Horton (15) during the first quarter of a "Thursday Night Football" game at State Farm Stadium. The Cardinals became the first NFL team to wear the new Nike "Rivalries" uniform in a game. The Seahawks won the game, 23-20.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Week 3: New Orleans Saints running back Kendre Miller (5) stiff arms Seattle Seahawks linebacker Tyrice Knight (48) during the second quarter at Lumen Field. The Saints wore their all-white uniform and helmet combo for the first time in the 44-13 loss.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Week 3: San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey carries the ball against the Arizona Cardinals during the first half at Levi's Stadium. The 49ers wore throwback jerseys - an homage to the team's 1950s look, as well as its 1994 Super Bowl-winning season - in the 16-15 win against the Cardinals.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Week 2: Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) runs the ball against the Atlanta Falcons at U.S. Bank Stadium. Sporting "The Vikings Classic" throwback uniform inspired by the team's look during the 1960s and '70s, Minnesota was defeated, 22-6.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />

Can't-miss alternate and throwback uniforms of the 2025 NFL season

11. Younghoe Koo kicks FieldTurf

Down 17-7, the Giants already were in a bad way at Gillette Stadium against the Patriots. Koo lined up for a 47-yard attempt that could have trimmed New England's lead down to seven. Instead, Koo's boot came up short. Literally.He kicked into the artificial surfaceinches behind the ball. Giants holder Jamie Gillan had to pick up the ball and scramble. He was tackled for what will go into the record books as a sack.

The football follies-worthy momentwas embarrassing for the Giants kicker, but ultimately did not factor into the game.

10. Joe Nedney vs.Bearsin 2005

They don't call it the Windy City for nothing. On a mid-November afternoon at Soldier Field, Chicago lived up to its moniker as high winds wreaked havoc on the Bears' matchup with theSan Francisco 49ers.

Sporting a 3-0 lead in the final seconds of the first half, 49ers head coach Mike Nolan sent Joe Nedney out to attempt a 52-yard field goal. What the heck, right? What's the worst that can happen? Well, the worst did happen. Nedney's kick into a stiff wind pushed the ball well off target and into the arms of the Bears' Nathan Vasher. Vasher collected the ball 8 yards deep in the end zone, eluded 49ers pursuers andscampered for an unlikely touchdown. After Vasher had one of the longest plays in NFL history, the Bears would go on to win,17-9.

9. Lane Kiffin has Sebastian Janikowski attempt 76-yarder

Kiffin has been in the news latelyforyet another ugly coaching exit. Two days before Al Davis had seen enough from his young head coach, the polarizing Kiffin sent Sebastian Janikowski out to attempt a 76-yard field goal during a game in Week 4 of the 2008 season.It did not go well.Davis fired Kiffin, and who can forget the press conference announcing the dismissal in whichDavis used an overhead projectorlike a 1980s-era science teacher?

8. Cody Parkey double-doink in 2018 playoffs

NBC analyst Cris Collinsworth made "double doink" part of NFL lexicon after the Bears' Cody Parkey missed a 43-yard field goal attempt in an NFC wild-card playoff loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. Parkey's kick hit the uprights, then the crossbar before landing in the end zone.

"The Bears' season is going to end on a double doink,"Collinsworth said during the game broadcast.

Parkey had made a habit of hitting the uprights,including four timesin a game against the Detroit Lions.

7. Blair Walsh in 2015 playoffs

Walsh – who was a Pro Bowl kicker during the 2012 season – was put on the spot in a 2015 wild-card playoff game against theSeattle Seahawks. The game was played outdoors at TCF Bank Stadium – normal home to theMinnesota Golden Gophers football team– in the season before the team's new stadium, TCF Bank Stadium, opened. In below-zero temperatures, the Seahawks and Vikings had played a low-scoring game. Minnesota, however, managed to get Walsh into position to move the team onto the divisional round, setting up the kicker for a game-winning 27-yard field goal attempt. Instead,Walsh missed badlyand Seattle prevailed,10-9.

6. Mike Vanderjagt in 2005 playoffs

The2005 Indianapolis Coltswere on a real heater. The team opened the season 13-0 before finishing 14-2. TheColtshosted the Pittsburgh Steelers in an AFC divisional playoff game at the RCA Dome in what would bea memorable playoff showdown. After falling behind 21-3 to the Steelers, the Colts had rallied and down 21-18 had put kicker Mike Vanderjagt into position to tie the game. Instead, Vanderjagt missed badly ona 46-yard field goal attempt, and to top it off got penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct after the play.

Nearly three years earlier, Vanderjagt went on a cable TV show in Toronto and criticized future Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning and Colts coach Tony Dungy for a lack of competitiveness.Asked about Vanderjagt's comments, Manning said "our idiot kicker who got liquored up and ran his mouth off."

The 2005 playoff was Vanderjagt's last game with the Colts. The Steelers, meanwhile, went on to winSuper Bowl XL.

5. Tony Romo botches snap in 2006 playoff

The Seahawks defeated theCowboys, 21-20, inan unforgettable wild-card playoff gamein Seattle. The game is known primarily for a botched hold by Tony Romo on what would have been a go-ahead field goal in the game's final minute. Cowboys kicker Martin Gramatica lined up for a 19-yard field goal with 1:19 remaining in the game. Romo was the holder (back when quarterbacks would occasionally take part in such plays). The snap from center slipped through Romo's hands. The quarterback then picked up the ball and attempted to scramble for the end zone, but was tackled for no gain on what was a fourth-and-1 play.

4. Garo Yepremian in Super Bowl VII

About the only imperfect aspect of theMiami Dolphins' perfect 1972 season wasa crazy playon a blocked field goal attempt by kicker Garo Yepremian in Super Bowl VII against Washington at the L.A. Coliseum. Yepremian lined up for an attempt that if made, would have put the Dolphins up 17-0 in a 17-0 season. Instead, the kick was blocked, Yepremian picked up the football and tried to throw a pass. It was instead deflected into the hands of Washington's Mike Bass who raced 49 yards for a touchdown. The Dolphins still won,14-7, but Yepremian's play lives in pro football infamy.

3. Billy Cundiff in 2011 AFC title game

TheBaltimore Ravensand New England Patriots met in a hotly contested AFC championship game that came down to the final seconds. Trailing 23-20 with 15 seconds remaining in the game, the Ravens sent kicker Billy Cundiff out for a game-tying 32-yard field goal attempt.Cundiff missed badlyand the Patriots would go on to play inSuper Bowl 46.

Adding to Baltimore's misery was that Cundiff's kick didn't even need to happen. Two plays earlier, Ravens receiverLee Evans couldn't hold onto a Joe Flacco passin the end zone. After Evans' drop, Cundiff sealed the Ravens' fate at Gillette Stadium.

2. Gary Anderson in 1998 NFC title game

TheMinnesota Vikingswere up 27-20 against the surprising Atlanta Falcons inthe NFC championship game, and were in position to ice the game. With just over two minutes remaining, Vikings kicker Gary Anderson lined up for a 39-yard field goal attempt that would have given the Vikings a 10-point lead and nearly assured the team's first trip to the Super Bowl since the mid-1970s. Instead, Anderson – who had made 39 consecutive field goals before this kick (no missed field goals or extra points during the entire 1998 season) –missed wide left. The Falcons had new life, marched down the field and scored the game-tying touchdown. In overtime, the Falcons kicker – Morten Andersen – booted the winner (a 38-yarder) and the Falcons were a stunning Super Bowl entrant.

1. Scott Norwood in Super Bowl 25

One of the greatest Super Bowls ever played ended on a missed field goal. Scott Norwood's miss is a tempting butterfly effect debate. What would have happened had he made the kick? Instead, theBuffalo Billswent on to lose four consecutive Super Bowls. In an epic clash with theNew York Giants, the Bills moved into position to win the game in the final seconds. Norwood's 47-yard attemptsailed wide rightand the Giants held on fora hard-fought 20-19 win.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Where Younghoe Koo ranks among NFL's worst field goal fails

byVaclavien Pynzarien

in

December 02, 2025

NFL's biggest field goal fails: Where does Younghoe Koo rank?

TheNew England Patriots routed the New York Giantsin front of a national television audience on"Monday Night Footbal...

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US escalation with Maduro halts deportation flights to Venezuela

Recent U.S. military escalations involving Venezuela have halted flights carrying unlawful migrants from the United States back to the South American country, Venezuela's foreign ministry said, prompting criticism from anti-intervention voices.

PresidentDonald Trumpwarned pilots Saturday that the airspace "above and surrounding" Venezuela should be "closed in its entirety" as his administration weighs potential strikes on targets in and around Caracas.

"Through this action, the United States government has unilaterally suspended the Venezuelan migrant flights that were being carried out regularly and weekly as part of the repatriation of Venezuelans through the Plan Vuelta a la Patria (Return to the Homeland Plan)," the ministry said in a statement.

The deportation flights had been one of the only areas of cooperation between Washington and the government ofNicolás Maduro. Venezuelan officials say nearly 14,000 nationals have been returned on twice-weekly charter flights in recent months.

Venezuela Agrees To Resume Deportation Flights In Response To Pressure From Trump

At the same time, the Trump administration has continued moving forward with plans to end temporary protected status for roughly 600,000 Venezuelans living in the United States.

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"Genius. Enough with this immigration enforcement nonsense. Let's get back to True MAGA — neocon wars that exacerbate and cause migration crises. About darn time," said Curt Mills, executive editor of The American Conservative, criticizing the shift toward military action.

So far, U.S. strikes have targeted alleged narco-traffickers operating in theCaribbean near Venezuela. But officials have signaled that operations could expand to land-based targets as Washington increases pressure on Maduro to relinquish power.

Venezuela Will Face 'Severe, And Escalating Sanctions' If It Doesn't Accept Its Citizens, Rubio Says

Dozens of U.S. bombers have deployed to the region alongside the world's largest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, underscoring the scale of the buildup. With U.S. bombers and the Ford already positioned in the region, much of the world is waiting to see whether Trump will green-light the next phase ofstrikes against Venezuelan targets.

Trump confirmed he spoke with Maduro by phone recently.

"I wouldn't say it went well or badly. It was a phone call," he told reporters aboard Air Force One Sunday.

Trump presented Maduro with an ultimatum — step down or face potential U.S. military action. Maduro, theMiami Herald reported,sought global amnesty for himself, demanded to retain control of the military and resisted an immediate exit from power.

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Restraint-minded foreign policy analysts have sounded the alarm against a regime-change-driven intervention in Venezuela, arguing such a move could make migration patterns worse.

"Escalatory dynamics could trigger regional instability and hostility, with migration flows among the most predictable consequences," a report by Stimson Center analysts Evan Cooper and Alessandro Perri claimed. "Absent a credible transition structure inside Venezuela, external pressure is far more likely to deepen chaos — driving more Venezuelans to flee — than to produce political change."

Analysts in the libertarian foreign-policy space have issued similar warnings.

Doug Bandow, a senior fellow at the Cato Institute, argued that "U.S. militarized pressure on Venezuela is far more likely to worsen instability than to produce meaningful political change," adding that history shows "coercion in Venezuela leads to unpredictable outcomes and episodes of mass flight."

"Escalation without a stable political alternative inside Venezuela risks accelerating the very migration pressures Washington is trying to contain," said George A. López, a senior analyst at the Quincy Institute.

Original article source:US escalation with Maduro halts deportation flights to Venezuela

byVaclavien Pynzarien

in

December 02, 2025

US escalation with Maduro halts deportation flights to Venezuela

Recent U.S. military escalations involving Venezuela have halted flights carrying unlawful migrants from the United State...

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