The United States lifted airspace restrictions over the Caribbean late on Saturday after temporarily barring commercial flights during a US military operation that resulted in the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.

The airspace restrictions were imposed amid heightened military activity linked to the operation, which unfolded in the early hours of Saturday and affected civilian aviation across the Caribbean region.

Following his capture, Maduro and his wife were flown by helicopter to New York City, where they are expected to face charges related to drug trafficking and weapons offences.

The pair were seized by US special forces during a pre-dawn assault that involved air strikes targeting locations in and around the Venezuelan capital, Caracas, late on Saturday.

US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced the lifting of the airspace restrictions in a post on the social media platform X, stating that the initial closure had officially expired at 12:00 am local time.

He said the expiration time corresponded to 0500 GMT, after which commercial flights were permitted to resume normal operations.

“Airlines are informed, and will update their schedules quickly,” Duffy said.

Earlier on Saturday, the US Federal Aviation Administration had issued a notification to commercial airlines, instructing them to avoid Caribbean airspace due to the unfolding military operation.

The FAA cited a “potentially hazardous situation” as the reason for the advisory, warning airlines of risks associated with the ongoing security developments.

According to the notice, the airspace closure was implemented because of “safety-of-flight risks associated with ongoing military activity.”