The first direct US-Venezuela commercial flight in 7 years lands in Caracas

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — The first direct commercial flight between the United States and Venezuela arrived Thursday in the capital of the South American country, seven years after the U.S. Homeland Security Department ordered an indefinite suspension, citing security concerns.

The resumption of a nonstop commercial flight between the two countries comes months after the U.S. capture of then President Nicolás Maduro in a stunning nighttime raid on his residence in Caracas in early January.

It also comes a month after the U.S. formally reopened its embassy in Caracas following the restoration of full diplomatic relations with Venezuela.

“I'm very excited to go and see the family and I'm looking forward to see the country,” said passenger Lennart Ochoa of Miami shortly before boarding. He said that he was “ready to go" and got his ticket as soon as they were available. “Just to go and see the family on a direct flight from Miami to Caracas is priceless.”

The director of the U.S. National Energy Dominance Council, Jarrod Agen, was among the passengers on the inaugural flight. Agen is scheduled to meet with Venezuelan officials and executives from energy and mining sectors as part of the Trump administration’s efforts to facilitate the entry of U.S. companies into the South American country, reported the Venezuelan government.

At Miami International Airport, American Airlines staff handed passengers small Venezuelan flags. Balloons with its colors — yellow, blue and red — adorned the gate door leading to the plane.

Flight AA3599 operated by Envoy Air, a subsidiary of American Airlines, departed Miami at 10:11 a.m. EDT (1411 GMT), five minutes ahead of its scheduled time, according to Miami International Airport flight departure information. It arrived around three hours later in the Venezuelan capital, returning to Florida later in the afternoon.

Earlier, the airline said that a second daily flight between Miami and Caracas will start on May 21.

In late January, U.S. President Donald Trump said that he informed Venezuela’s acting President Delcy Rodríguez that he would open up all commercial airspace over the country, allowing Americans to visit.

“American citizens will be very shortly able to go to Venezuela, and they’ll be safe there,” Trump said at the time.

The flights mark the resumption of nonstop travel between the U.S. and Venezuela for the first time since diplomatic ties were severed in 2019. For the past seven years, passengers have relied on international airlines and indirect routes through neighboring Latin American countries.

In January, when the airline announced the resumption of flights, it said it would give customers the opportunity to reunite with families and pursue new business opportunities.

American Airlines was the last U.S. airline flying to Venezuela. It suspended flights in 2019 between Miami and Caracas, as well as flights to the oil hub city of Maracaibo. Delta and United Airlines pulled out in 2017 amid a political crisis that forced millions to flee the country.

“Parents will be able to connect with children, grandparents with grandchildren, and entire families with a home that shaped and raised them,” Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said at a news conference before boarding started. “Miami-Dade is home to the largest Venezuelan community in the United States.”

Follow AP’s coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america

Passengers line up to check in for a U.S.-bound commercial flight at Simon Bolivar International Airport in Maiquetia, Venezuela, Thursday, April 30, 2026, as direct air service between the United States and Venezuela resumes after seven years. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)

American Airlines Flight AA3599, the first direct commercial flight between the United States and Venezuela in seven years, gets a water cannon salute as it taxis away from the gate, Thursday, April 30, 2026, at Miami International Airport in Miami. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

A National Guard officer checks passengers ID's prior to check in for a U.S.-bound commercial flight at Simon Bolivar International Airport in Maiquetia, Venezuela, Thursday, April 30, 2026, as direct air service between the United States and Venezuela resumes after seven years. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)

A passenger boards American Airlines Flight AA3599, the first direct commercial flight between the United States and Venezuela in seven years, Thursday, April 30, 2026, at Miami International Airport in Miami. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

Capt. Ric Wilson waves a Venezuelan flag and the first officer waves a U.S. flag as they prepare to fly American Airlines Flight AA3599, the first direct commercial flight between the United States and Venezuela in seven years, Thursday, April 30, 2026, at Miami International Airport in Miami. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

A worker cleans the check-in area ahead of the arrival of a U.S. commercial flight at Simon Bolivar International Airport in Maiquetia, Venezuela, Thursday, April 30, 2026, as direct air service between the United States and Venezuela resumes after seven years. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillo)

Venezuela's acting President Delcy Rodriguez speaks at Miraflores Palace during a meeting with Colombian President Gustavo Petro in Caracas, Venezuela, Friday, April 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — President Vladimir Putin has ordered the Russian assets of German retailer Metro AG placed under temporary administration. The step comes against a background of tension between Germany and Russia over the war in Ukraine.

The order, posted Monday on the government website, did not state a reason. The step follows similar steps against the Russia businesses of global food company Nestle and French retailer Auchan under a 2023 decree aimed at businesses associated with “unfriendly countries.”

Temporary administration has led to local owners taking over the Russia businesses of French dairy concern Danone and Danish brewer Carlsberg at knockdown prices.

Metro said in a statement that although Metro Russia formally belonged to it, it had no further operational control over the business. The Kremlin order placed the assets under the administration of UK Torg Rus, described in the Metro news release as “a company of Metro Russia CEO Johannes Tholey.”

Metro said it had been reducing its connections to the Russia business since the 2022 Russian invasion. It said that “further consequences of the decree on Metro AG are currently being analyzed.” Metro has 9,000 employees in Russia.

Germany has concluded that Russia was responsible for an attempted drone attack at the Leipzig airport and closed a Russian consulate in Bonn and a Russian cultural center in Berlin. Russia in response closed the German consulate in St. Petersburg. Moscow denied the allegations.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met his German counterpart Johann Wadephul on Saturday on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly but was dismissive afterward, saying that Wadephul "simply reiterated his official public position condemning Russia... you can judge for yourself whether that counts as dialogue or not.”

“The Russians are raising the pressure on Germany in their hybrid war,” said Stefan Meister, a Russia expert at the German Council on Foreign Relations. “It's being made clear that the Germans could lose even more companies and assets in Russia, in order to raise pressure on the German government from the German business community."

Meister said that Russia sees Germany “as a key adversary since it is Ukraine's most important single supporter.”

Some major Western businesses ceased operating in Russia and wrote off their businesses after 2022. Since then the Kremlin has imposed burdensome conditions for disposing of local affiliates, demanding they be sold at a steep discount and subject to exit taxes and government approval. Other companies have scaled back their operations, while others continue to do business as usual.

FILE - The logo of Metro Cash&Carry is photographed in Duesseldorf, Germany, Wednesday March 30, 2016. (Rolf Vennenbernd/dpa via AP, file)