President Trump on Saturday said that the airspace surrounding Venezuela should be considered closed, ratcheting up tensions with the regime of Nicolás Maduro.

For months, the president has intensified U.S. military presence in the region, ramping up pressure on Venezuela with strikes on alleged drug boats since early September. The military has carried out nearly two dozen known strikes on vessels they said were carrying drugs, killing at least 82 people.

President Trump posted on social media that Venezuela's airspace should be considered as "closed in its entirety."

Venezuela: Tensions between the US and Venezuela escalate as President Trump suggests military action. Explore Venezuela's military strength, guerrilla strategies, and how Maduro's civilian militias might respond to a potential US attack.

President Donald Trump warned Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro that the US could use force if he does not step down voluntarily

As Washington escalates pressure on Venezuela, any push for regime change risks becoming a costly, dangerous gamble — not the quick fix President Trump might hope for.