State Department warns US citizens to leave Venezuela

Trump and his top aides have offered shifting explanations about taking action against Venezuela since the president's military buildup in Latin America began earlier this year.

Initially, Trump defended his military operations near Venezuela as keeping drugs out of the U.S., although experts say the cocaine that passes through Venezuela winds up mostly in Europe while fentanyl is sourced from China.

Trump also accused Maduro of emptying Venezuela's prisons and "mental institutions" into the U.S., although there's no evidence of these claims.

According to the nonpartisan Migration Policy Institute, hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans have settled in the U.S. in recent years due to economic and political stability in their home country.

By mid-December, Trump accused Maduro of "stealing" U.S. oil and land. Trump appeared to be alluding to work done in the 1970s in Venezuela by Western oil companies before the government there opted to nationalize its reserves, eventually forcing out American companies.

In a Dec. 17 social media post -- around the same time sources say Trump was making a decision to greenlight the Jan. 3 military operation -- Trump said the U.S. military threat to Venezuela will "only get bigger, and the shock to them will be like nothing they have ever seen before -- Until such time as they return to the United States of America all of the Oil, Land, and other Assets that they previously stole from us."

Two days later at a press conference, Secretary of State Marco Rubio offered a more general explanation than access to oil reserves, calling Maduro's presidency "intolerable" because it was cooperating with "terrorist and criminal elements" instead of the Trump administration.

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-ABC News' Anne Flaherty

Venezuela's Minister of Foreign Affairs Yvan Gil Pinto posted a statement on Telegram, saying Venezuela has requested a meeting of the United Nations Security Council over the "aggression committed by the government of the United States."

"In the face of the criminal aggression committed by the government of the United States against the Homeland, we have requested an urgent meeting of the United Nations Security Council, which is responsible for enforcing international law," Gil Pinto wrote.

"No cowardly attack will overcome the strength of this people, who will emerge victorious," he added.

-ABC News’ Dragana Jovanovic

Vice President JD Vance shared in a post on X Trump's announcement of a "successful" operation in Venezuela.

Vance wrote that Trump offered Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro "multiple off ramps" while being clear that "the drug trafficking must stop, and the stolen oil must be returned to the United States."

"Maduro is the newest person to find out that President Trump means what he says. Kudos to our brave special operators who pulled off a truly impressive operation," Vance added.

At least 613 flights have been cancelled across the U.S. today, many due to Caribbean airspace closures.

Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico, has been particularly impacted, with 267 flights cancelled.

American Airlines and JetBlue Airways have issued waivers for travelers caught up in the closures.

"Due to airspace closures across the Caribbean related to military activity, we have canceled approximately 215 flights systemwide," JetBlue said in a statement. "Flights to the Dominican Republic and Jamaica are not affected by the government's restrictions. Customers whose flights are cancelled may rebook their travel or request a refund."

Along with the Venezuela prohibition, the FAA has also prohibited U.S. civil aviation from flying in the Curacao, San Juan and part of the Piarco Flight Information Regions.

These cover parts of the southern Caribbean and some areas surrounding Venezuela. The closures are scheduled until midnight tonight.

-ABC News' Clara McMichael