The U.S. government has issued an emergency security alert urging all Americans in Venezuela to leave the country immediately, citing reports of armed militia groups targeting U.S. citizens. According to the U.S. Embassy Caracas, groups of armed militias known as “colectivos” have been setting up roadblocks and searching vehicles for evidence of U.S. citizenship or support for the United States.
The embassy emphasized that with international flights having resumed, Americans should depart as soon as possible, noting that the U.S. government remains unable to provide emergency services or consular assistance since withdrawing all diplomatic personnel in March 2019.
The heightened security concerns come amid ongoing political turmoil in Venezuela, with the country maintaining the State Department’s highest travel warning level of “Level 4: Do Not Travel.” The advisory cites severe risks including wrongful detention, torture, terrorism, kidnapping, arbitrary enforcement of local laws, crime, civil unrest, and poor health infrastructure. “U.S. citizens in Venezuela are advised to leave Venezuela as soon as they feel it is safe to do so,” the embassy stated, while also warning potential travelers: “Do not travel to Venezuela.”