France warned of military aircraft invisible to radar near Aruba and Curaçao

France warned of military aircraft invisible to radar near Aruba and Curaçao

Posted on 10/9/2026, 9:20 AM AST | Updated on 10/9/2026, 9:20 AM AST

WILLEMSTAD — France warned of potentially undetectable military aircraft during the US military operation against Venezuela on January 3, 2026.

According to documents released by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the warning covered the Curaçao, San Juan and Piarco flight information regions. Aircraft not visible to civilian air traffic controllers posed a potential collision risk for commercial flights.

The warning followed near-collisions involving US military and civilian aircraft in December 2025. Aruba and Curaçao subsequently announced agreements with the United States regarding military aircraft transponder use.

During the Venezuela operation, KLM, TUI and Corendon canceled flights to the ABC islands and other Caribbean destinations. US flight restrictions were lifted on January 4.

It remains unclear whether undetectable military aircraft actually operated in Curaçao-controlled airspace during the attack or whether earlier safety agreements were followed.