Venezuela resumes accepting US deportation flights after Trump closes airspace to country

Venezuela will continue accepting deportation flights from the U.S. at the request of President Donald Trump's administration, the country announced Tuesday.

Trump threatened to declare the airspace "above and surrounding" Venezuela to be "closed in its entirety," causing Venezuela to cancel the twice-weekly flights of migrants from the U.S. on Saturday. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro announced on Tuesday that, at the request of the Trump administration, those flights have now resumed.

Immigrants arrive regularly at the airport outside the capital of Caracas on flights operated by a U.S. government contractor or Venezuela’s state-owned airline. More than 13,000 immigrants have returned so far this year on the chartered flights, the latest of which arrived Friday.

Venezuela previously had a longstanding policy of not accepting deportation flights from the U.S. but Maduro's regime conceded under pressure from Trump earlier this year. The deportation flights are one of the few areas of cooperation between the U.S. and Venezuela as tension between the countries grows.

US ESCALATION WITH MADURO HALTS DEPORTATION FLIGHTS TO VENEZUELA

U.S. strikes have targeted alleged narco-traffickers operating in the Caribbean near Venezuela. Trump has signaled that operations could expand to land-based targets as Washington increases pressure on Maduro to relinquish power.

"You know, the land is much easier, much easier. And we know the routes they take," Trump told reporters during a Cabinet at the White House. "We know everything about them. We know where they live. We know where the bad ones live. And we’re going to start that very soon too."

VENEZUELA WILL FACE 'SEVERE, AND ESCALATING SANCTIONS' IF IT DOESN'T ACCEPT ITS CITIZENS, RUBIO SAYS

Dozens of U.S. bombers have deployed to the region alongside the world’s largest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, underscoring the scale of the buildup. With U.S. bombers and the Ford already positioned in the region, much of the world is waiting to see whether Trump will green-light the next phase of strikes against Venezuelan targets.

Trump presented Maduro with an ultimatum during a recent phone call, demanding that he step down or face potential U.S. military action. Maduro sought global amnesty for himself, demanded to retain control of the military and resisted an immediate exit from power, the Miami Herald reported.

Fox News' Morgan Phillips and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

White House launches 'Media Bias Offender Tip Line,' calls on Americans to 'hold the fake news accountable'

On Tuesday, the White House launched a "Media Bias Offender Tip Line," encouraging everyday Americans to submit news stories they believe are biased, with the stated goal of holding "the fake news accountable."

Beneath a banner reading "A CALL TO ACTION: Submit ‘Media Bias’ Tips," the White House site explained that, to support its "Media Bias Portal" debuted last week, it needs the public's help in submitting misleading and biased news.

"The White House recently launched a Media Bias Portal as a service to truth and transparency. Its purpose is to combat the baseless lies, purposely omitted context, and outright left-wing lunacy of the Fake News Media — a tall task that demands the help of everyone who believes in facts and accuracy over Fake News," the site reads.

WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY KAROLINE LEAVITT DEFENDS DECISION TO LIMIT REPORTER ACCESS TO STAFF OFFICES

According to the White House, "So-called ‘journalists’ have made it impossible to identify every false or misleading story," which is why help from the American people is "essential" to its mission.

"The days of the Fake News Media controlling the narrative with lies, fake anonymous sources, and willful bias are over," the White House statement continued. "If the legacy media won’t honor their responsibility to accurately inform the public, we know the American people will."

A link is provided to a submission page where the public is called on to "help expose the worst of the worst," and report stories that they feel are biased to be featured in the "Media Bias Portal."

BROADCAST BIAS: 4 BIG STORIES NETWORKS BURIED TO MAKE DEMOCRATS LOOK GOOD

"If you know of any media outlet misrepresenting the Trump Administration, and skewing the truth, link the article below for our team to review it!" the submission page reads. "Don't let them continue to spread lies. Fill out the form below."

Last week, the White House debuted its "Media Offender of the Week" website — most recently referred to as the "Media Bias Portal" — dedicated to calling out what it describes as the "Fake News Media."

At the top of the page, a banner reading "Misleading. Biased. Exposed." introduces a section that highlights media outlets and reporters, including CBS News, The Independent and The Boston Globe.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF MEDIA AND CULTURE

The site claims "The media misrepresented President Trump’s call for Members of Congress to be held accountable for inciting sedition by saying that he called for their 'execution,'" referring to the ongoing controversy over a viral video in which six Democratic members of Congress urged U.S. service members to "refuse illegal orders." 

Aside from the three outlets listed at the top of the page, the site also features an "Offender Hall of Shame" that includes CNN, MS NOW (formerly MSNBC), The Washington Post and, for a second time, CBS News. Below the "Hall of Shame," users are presented with claims from various outlets that the site categorizes under labels such as "Bias," "Lie," "Malpractice" and "Left-wing Lunacy," among others.

About Us

Virtus (virtue, valor, excellence, courage, character, and worth)

Vincit (conquers, triumphs, and wins)