Updated: January 26, 2026

By VIP Black’s Car Services
Licensed Chauffeured Transportation in NY, CT, MA, PA & NJ.

Venezuela travel advisory searches spike when people see one phrase: “do not travel to venezuela depart immediately.”
That isn’t “be careful” language. It’s “stop treating this like a normal trip” language.

On January 10, 2026, the U.S. Embassy alert issued from Bogotá was blunt: the situation is “fluid,” flights have resumed but seats may be limited, and U.S. citizens in Venezuela should leave the country immediately.

It also calls out street-level problems, not vague risk: reports of colectivos, roadblocks, and vehicles being searched for signs tied to U.S. citizenship or support.

This page answers the only questions that matter in the moment: what changed, what didn’t, and what a realistic 24–72 hour plan travel looks like when there are no U.S. consular services in Caracas.

Key takeaways

• The Jan 10 alert tells U.S. citizens not to travel and says those currently in-country should leave immediately, noting some international flights have resumed and may have limited availability.
• Venezuela remains Level 4: Do Not Travel, and the State Department states U.S. diplomatic operations in Caracas have been suspended since 2019, meaning no U.S. consular services inside Venezuela.
• “Depart Immediately” is a risk/assistance reality check: the U.S. government says it cannot provide emergency services or consular help in-country, and consular access to detainees is not generally available.
• The Travel Advisory includes aviation context: Department of Transportation Order 2019-5-5 restricted U.S.–Venezuela air service; the advisory points travelers to FAA notices for airspace safety information.

What changed on Jan 10, 2026 (and what didn’t)

What changed: the tone and the trigger conditions highlighted in the alert.

• Security alert language sharpened: OSAC reposts the Embassy alert titled “Do Not Travel to Venezuela; Depart Immediately,” emphasizing the situation is “fluid.”
• Specific street-level risk language: reports of colectivos, roadblocks, and vehicles being searched for evidence of U.S. citizenship or support.
• Exit pathway signal: the alert notes international flights have resumed, but warns tickets may be in high demand and availability limited.

What didn’t change: the baseline classification and U.S. assistance limits.

• Venezuela is still Venezuela – Level 4: Do Not Travel, with the advisory listing severe risks (wrongful detention, torture in detention, kidnapping, arbitrary enforcement of local laws, crime, civil unrest, poor health infrastructure).
• The U.S. position on consular capability remains the same: U.S. Embassy Caracas operations are suspended; the State Department states it has no ability to provide emergency services or consular assistance in Venezuela.

Venezuela travel advisory vs Venezuela security alert January 10 2026

People mash these together in search, but they serve different purposes.

Venezuela travel advisory level 4

This is the State Department’s standing country-level guidance.

• It’s the “big picture” risk posture (Level 1–4), plus durable constraints like no consular services and detention/consular-access limitations.
• It includes long-form “if you decide to travel” guidance (communications plans, proof-of-life protocols, insurance, aviation restrictions, etc.).

Venezuela security alert January 10 2026

This is a time-specific, situation-driven Embassy alert.

• It highlights what’s happening now, and what U.S. citizens should do right now (leave as soon as they feel it is safe, check flight info, establish multiple communication methods).
• It’s the kind of alert that spreads quickly via OSAC to corporate security channels.

Plain-English difference:

• Travel Advisory = “How risky is this destination overall, and what support exists?”
• Security Alert = “Something is happening; here’s what to do this week.”

U.S. citizens in venezuela should leave immediately: priority checklist (24–72 hours)

This is a practical checklist based on the actions the alert spells out and the assistance constraints in the advisory.

0–6 hours: stabilize your communications

• Get redundant communications: the alert explicitly recommends “multiple methods of communication” with friends/family outside Venezuela.
• Update contact hygiene: make sure family/employer has your current phone numbers, lodging address, and a simple check-in schedule.
• Pick a “proof-of-life” question set for your circle (the Travel Advisory explains why — it’s designed to reduce scam extortion risk if someone claims to have you).

6–24 hours: build an exit plan that doesn’t rely on U.S. rescue

• The Travel Advisory states contingency plans should not rely on U.S. government assistance. Treat that as a planning constraint, not a suggestion.
• Check flights directly and often: the alert says some commercial airlines have resumed operations but availability may be limited.
• Reduce road exposure where possible: the alert cites reports of armed groups and roadblocks, and advises caution when traveling by road.

24–72 hours: execute, or harden your shelter plan

• If you can depart: do it while routes are still functioning, and keep your movements low-profile and purposeful.
• If you cannot depart yet: prepare contingency plans for emergencies since the U.S. government cannot provide emergency services in Venezuela.
• Expect infrastructure instability: the alert notes intermittent power and utility outages.

Quick “do / don’t” table

Situation	Do	Don’t
Road travel	Minimize trips, plan routes, stay alert for roadblocks	Drive aimlessly or at night “to avoid traffic”
Crowd areas	Keep profile low; avoid flashpoints	Join crowds / protests / heated gatherings
Digital footprint	Keep devices clean of sensitive content	Hand devices around; argue at checkpoints

STEP enrollment + why it matters during fast-moving alerts

This is the action step that’s actually useful.

• The security alert explicitly says to enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive security updates.
• The Travel Advisory repeats the STEP recommendation for alerts.

What STEP does (real-world):

• It ties you to the official alert stream, so you’re not relying on screenshots and forwarded messages.
• It helps your family/employer point to a single official channel when they’re deciding what to do.

No u.s. embassy in Caracas consular services: the reality check people miss

If you take nothing else from the Venezuela travel advisory, take this:

• The State Department says U.S. diplomatic personnel withdrew in 2019 and Embassy Caracas suspended operations; all consular services remain suspended.
• It states the U.S. government has no ability to provide emergency services or consular assistance in Venezuela.
• The Travel Advisory states the U.S. government is generally not informed of detentions and is not permitted to visit U.S. national detainees; detainees may be unable to contact family or independent counsel.

Translation: “Depart Immediately” is partly about the situation, and partly about support limits.

Department of Transportation Order 2019-5-5: why it shows up on the advisory page

This line exists because aviation access affects exit options.

• The Travel Advisory notes Department of Transportation Order 2019-5-5 prohibited U.S.–Venezuela air services, citing DHS concerns about civil aviation security in Venezuelan airspace, and points travelers to FAA prohibitions/restrictions/notices for airspace safety.

Practical takeaway: When the advisory references aviation restrictions and FAA notices, it’s telling you not to treat “a flight exists” as “a flight is low-risk.”

How to monitor official updates (and what to ignore)

You want three tabs. Everything else is noise.

1) travel.state.gov advisory (the baseline)

Use it for:

• current venezuela travel advisory level 4
• assistance limitations
• aviation restriction context (DOT order, FAA notices)

2) Embassy alert text (issued from Bogotá; reposted by OSAC)

Use it for:

• time-sensitive actions and local risk patterns (roadblocks, armed groups)
• phone numbers and contact pathways for Embassy Bogotá ACS support

3) osac venezuela security alert

Use it for:

• the same Embassy alert content in a format corporate security teams often circulate
• confirmation you’re reading the authentic message

What to ignore (most of the time):

• Viral threads with “evacuation routes” that don’t cite an official source.
• Screenshots without dates (alerts age fast).
• “Today on Venezuela” headlines that don’t specify the city/cross streets/context.

Indiana travel advisory vs U.S. travel advisory (quick clarity, because people mix these up)

People mix up an Indiana travel advisory with a U.S. State Department Travel Advisory because the wording sounds the same, but they’re totally different. An Indiana advisory is local and usually weather-driven, it’s basically a “can I safely drive in this county today?” signal. A State Department Travel Advisory is international and risk-based, it’s “should I travel to this country at all, and what limits might there be on U.S. help if something goes sideways?”

FAQS about Venezuela

These aren’t the core of the alert, but they’re common “quick lookup” queries.

“Depart Immediately” in real life: what it changes tomorrow morning

This phrase is less about panic and more about planning constraints.

• Your margin for error shrinks. In a normal trip, a missed flight is annoying. Under a “depart immediately” posture, a missed flight can mean you’re stuck waiting for the next limited seat inventory window. Treat every delay as a risk multiplier, not just a schedule problem.
• Road time becomes the risk you manage, not the airport. If alerts mention roadblocks / armed groups, your biggest exposure is often getting from where you are to where you need to be. Fewer trips beats “checking options in person.”
• Your help options are thinner than most travelers assume. A lot of people read “U.S. citizens should leave immediately” and assume there’s a fallback rescue plan. The reality check is the no in-country consular services issue: it changes how you plan everything (backup documents, redundancy, who holds your itinerary, what you carry on you).

Useful mindset: plan as if you must solve problems with your own network and commercial services, not with last-minute government intervention.

The “exit math” most people miss: flights are only half the plan

When people hear “international flights resumed,” they focus on availability. The bigger issue is execution.

• Seat availability ≠ usable departure. A seat you can’t reach safely, with documents you can’t present cleanly, is not a real option. Build the plan backwards: Can you safely get to the departure point? Can you stay in a low-friction posture during transit?
• Minimize checkpoint friction. If roadblocks are being reported, your goal is to avoid looking like a problem that needs extra questions. Practical moves: keep your story simple (where you’re going and why), keep your documents accessible, and don’t create “extra curiosity” by rummaging through bags at the wrong moment.
• Carry the “failure kit” that covers the common breakpoints. Not a survival fantasy kit, just what prevents dumb stoppages:
  • passport + backup ID + a printed copy of key reservations/addresses
  • enough power to keep a phone alive (battery pack)
  • cash buffer for legitimate needs when cards/apps fail
  • one written page of critical contacts (so you’re not locked out by a dead phone)

The misinformation filter: what to ignore without second-guessing yourself

During high-urgency advisories, bad info spreads faster than official updates. Here’s the filter that keeps you focused.

• Ignore anything that doesn’t name a source and a date. If it’s “breaking” but has no timestamp, it’s entertainment, not planning input.
• Ignore posts that promise certainty. Real official messaging often uses careful language (reports, may be limited, situation is fluid). “Guaranteed safe route” posts are usually the opposite of credible.
• Treat “I heard the Embassy will…” as noise unless it’s written in an official alert. This matters a lot when there’s no U.S. Embassy Caracas consular services: rumors about in-country help create dangerous delay.
• Use a 3-tab rule. One Travel Advisory page (baseline), one Embassy alert stream (time-sensitive), and OSAC reposts (corporate mirror). Everything else only matters if it links back to those.

Why this helps: it stops doom-scrolling and replaces it with a simple verification habit that keeps decisions clean.

SO Finally,

If you’re reading a Venezuela travel advisory with “do not travel to Venezuela depart immediately,” treat it like an execution problem, not a headline.
Reduce road exposure, tighten communications, and plan around limited exit options and limited support.
Use official updates only, and make decisions based on dates, not screenshots.
The goal is simple: get out cleanly, or stabilize safely while you keep working the exit plan.