Data shows that the largest port in Venezuela is where tankers depart with Venezuelan oil products.

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• The blockade on tankers ordered by Trump could put at risk the rising Russian naphtha imports to Venezuela

  Market sources say that the U.S. president Donald Trump has ordered a ban on?all sanctioned tankers' entering and exiting Venezuela. Washington announced its latest move on Tuesday to increase pressure on Nicolas Maduro’s government through the imposition of a blockade. Venezuela uses naphtha as a diluting agent for its heavy crude oil to make it easier to transport. In July, it began importing naphtha in Russia after U.S. sanctioned cut off supplies to its former American suppliers. Due to the fact that Russia is using sanctioned ships to deliver its naphtha to Venezuela, traders have warned these vessels could be redirected elsewhere in search of new buyers. The Benin-flagged Boltaris tanker, which had around 32,000 metric tonnes of Russian naphtha destined for Venezuela, redirected late last week to Europe, without completing its discharge, according to LSEG data. Since the European Union embargo against Russian oil products went into effect in February 2023, Russia has exported the majority of its naphtha. India, Taiwan, and Brazil are among the top buyers of naphtha, mainly for blending into gasoline. After the U.S. imposed sanctions related to Ukraine on Russia's biggest oil companies last October and pressured India to cut Russian oil imports to a minimum, the number of Russian ports that loaded naphtha to asia dropped by 15% to 800,000 tonnes, according to LSEG data and market sources. Contrariwise, shipments into Latin America increased. According to?data, the number of naphtha exports from Russian ports into Venezuela increased in November, jumping to 190,000. metric tons, up from 35,000 tons the previous month. Several tankers remain on the road, and some of these cargoes are already discharged. According to December shipping data, at least 100,000 tonnes of Russian naphtha were destined for Venezuela.

• The oil tanker rate will remain strong until 2026, as the sanctions that have been imposed on ships for hire are removed

  Shipping sources claim that the cost of shipping oil will remain high during the first half 2026, as the global fleet is aging and an increasing number of vessels face Western sanctions. However, rates may be capped in the second half. In recent weeks the cost of shipping crude oil for very large crude carrier (VLCC) vessels has risen by about $130,000 a daily due to OPEC's and its allies' high demand. Moreover, the number of ships available has decreased due to sanctions imposed on some vessels for transporting oil from Iran and Venezuela. Jan Rindbo is the chief executive officer of the Danish shipping group Norden. The international sanctions against Russia and the diverting of shipping from the Red Sea because of attacks by the Iran supported Houthi militia has?disrupted' shipping routes. This forces vessels to make longer journeys to transport crude oil to refineries. According to Omar Nokta of Jefferies, a U.S. investment banking firm, Omar Nokta estimates that the VLCC fleet will be used 92% next year, which is the highest level since 2019. This compares to 89.5% last year. Fleet utilisation measures how much of a tanker fleet is being used versus sitting idle. In recent years, major oil companies have been undergoing stringent testing to ensure that older tankers are not used as much after 15 years. This is because their efficiency has declined and they now face greater safety concerns. Lars Barstad said that nearly 44% of global VLCC fleets are older than 15 and almost 18% of supertankers within this segment have been sanctioned. Market assessments predict that deliveries of new tankers by shipping companies will increase in the second half of 2026. This should limit rates. Richard Matthews, head of research at shipbroker Gibson, said: "Scheduled tanker deliveries will be at their peak since 2009. He said that while the overall vessel supply would improve in 2011 as more ships are delivered by shipyards, it will be more geared towards product (refined) oil tankers. SHADOW FLOAT DOMINATES The "shadow fleet", which operates outside Western standards and scrutiny, is a major concern for shipping and oil companies. These vessels have all been sanctioned. Shadow fleet vessels tend to be old, their ownership opaque and they do not have the top-tier coverage that major oil companies and ports require. Jan Dieleman is the president of Cargill?Transportation. "I don’t believe anyone who imposed sanctions wanted this result." According to Lloyd's List Intelligence, the total fleet of tankers that work with oil sanctioned from Russia, Iran, and Venezuela includes 1423 vessels, 921 of which are under U.S. or EU sanctions. Lloyd's List Intelligence showed that 702 of the 1,423 vessels are crude oil tanks, and 148 of them are not sanctioned. According to estimates on the market, there are around 9,000 crude and fuel tanks in the non-sanctioned fleet. Cargill's Dieleman stated that the outlook for tanker prices could quickly change if more vessels, for instance, resumed their voyages through Red Sea. (Reporting and editing by Jonathan Saul, Jeslyn Lerh)

• US prepares to seize additional tankers near Venezuelan coast after first vessel taken, say sources

  Six sources with knowledge of the situation said that the U.S. was preparing to intercept additional ships transporting Venezuelan crude oil after the seizure this week of a tanker. This is part and parcel of increasing pressure on Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro. It was the first time that a Venezuelan oil tanker or cargo had been intercepted by U.S. authorities since 2019. The seizure came at a time when the U.S. is executing a massive military buildup on the southern Caribbean and as 'U.S. Donald Trump is pushing for Maduro to be ousted. Sources said that the latest U.S. actions have put shipowners and operators involved in shipping Venezuelan crude oil on alert. Many are now reconsidering whether they will continue to do so in the near future. Sources familiar with the situation, who declined to name themselves due to the sensitive nature of the issue, expect the U.S. to continue to intervene directly in the weeks to come against ships transporting Venezuelan oil, which may have also transported oil from countries that are under U.S. sanction, like Iran. U.S. ASSEMBLES TANKER TARGET LIST: SOURCE PDVSA, Venezuela's oil state company, did not respond to a comment request. Venezuela's government said this week that the U.S. seizure was a "theft." When asked if the Trump administration intended to seize more ships, White House spokesperson Karoline leavitt said she wouldn't speak about future action but that the U.S. will continue implementing the president’s sanctions policies. She said: "We won't stand by while sanctioned ships sail the oceans with black-market oil, whose proceeds will fuel the narcoterrorism and illegitimate governments around the globe." According to a person familiar with the situation, the U.S. is preparing a list of additional sanctioned oil tankers that could be seized. According to two people, the U.S. Justice Department (DoJ) and Homeland Security (HS) had planned the seizures for months. The Maduro government would be financially strained if Venezuelan oil exports were to cease or reduce. They are the primary source of revenue for Venezuela. Treasury Department announced on Thursday that it had imposed sanctions against six supertankers, which, according to PDVSA internal documents and data from ship monitoring, "recently loaded crude oil in Venezuela", and four Venezuelans including three relatives of Cilia Flores, the first lady of Venezuela. It is not known if the newly sanctioned vessels are among those that will be targeted for interception. The seizure on Wednesday comes after the U.S. In recent months, the U.S. has conducted more than 20 airstrikes against what it claims are drug vessels in both the Caribbean and Pacific. More than 80 people have been killed. Experts claim that the strikes could be extrajudicial illegal attacks. The U.S., however, claims it is protecting Americans against drug cartels which it has labeled as terrorist organizations. According to a U.S. Venezuelan policy source, further ship seizures may be used to tighten the financial screws against Maduro. Maduro claims that the U.S. buildup in military forces is aimed at toppling him and gaining control over the OPEC nation’s oil resources. The U.S. is now focusing on what they call the "shadow fleet" of tankers, which transports oil sanctioned to China as the biggest buyer of crude from Venezuela or Iran. The sources said that a single vessel would often make separate trips for Iran, Venezuela, and Russia. Sources said that the seizure by authorities of the Skipper tanker caused at least one shipper to suspend temporarily the voyages for three newly loaded shipments of Venezuela's flagship export grade Merey totaling nearly 6 million barrels. A Venezuelan oil trader said, "The cargoes had just been loaded and they were about to sail to Asia." The voyages have been cancelled, and now tankers are waiting near the Venezuelan coast because it is safer. Surveillance of Targets One source said that U.S. forces are monitoring the tankers and vessels at sea, as well as those in Venezuelan ports being repaired or loaded. They will wait until they sail into international waters to take action. Another source said that in the weeks leading up to the?seizure' of Skipper - which had been previously sanctioned due to its oil trade with Iran - U.S. forces increased surveillance of waters near Venezuela and the neighboring Guyana. Leavitt, at the White House said that the vessel seized was expected to sail into a U.S. Port where the government plans to seize the oil cargo through a legal process. One source said that the timing of future seizures will partly depend on how fast ports can receive seized vessels to?unload oil cargoes. The shadow fleet of vessels that transports sanctioned oil is largely comprised of old ships, whose ownership is obscure and who sail without insurance. Many ports would be reluctant to accept the vessels. One source said that a U.S. Warship monitored and briefly detained a vessel called the Seahorse in November, because it was under UK and European Union sanctions for its oil trade links with Russia. The vessel then sailed into Venezuela. Legal experts said that while the Venezuelan government called the U.S. seizure "an act international piracy," it didn't fall under this definition in international law. Laurence Atkin-Teillet is a British specialist in piracy, law of the ocean and maritime terrorism. The term "piracy" in this context seems to be a rhetorical or figurative usage, and not a legal one.

• US prepares to seize additional tankers near Venezuelan coast after first vessel taken, say sources

  Six sources familiar with this matter told AFP on Thursday that the U.S. was preparing to intercept additional ships transporting Venezuelan crude oil after the seizure a tanker earlier this week. This is part of an effort to increase pressure?on Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro. This was the first time that an oil tanker or cargo from Venezuela had been intercepted by U.S. authorities since 2019. The U.S. is executing a massive military buildup in southern Caribbean, and U.S. president Donald Trump is campaigning for Maduro to be ousted. Sources said that the seizure had put shipowners and operators involved in the transport of Venezuelan crude oil on alert. Many were reconsidering their plans to leave Venezuelan waters as planned in the next few days. Sources familiar with the situation who declined to name themselves due to the sensitive nature of the issue, said that the U.S. is likely to continue to intervene directly in the weeks to come against ships transporting Venezuelan oil, which may have also transported oil from countries subject to U.S. sanction, like Iran. U.S. ASSEMBLES TANKER TARGET LIST: SOURCE PDVSA, Venezuela's oil state company, did not respond to a comment request. Venezuela's government said this week that the U.S. seizure was a "theft." When asked if the Trump administration intended to seize more ships, White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said she wouldn't speak about future action but that the U.S. will continue to implement?the President's sanctions policy. She said: "We won't stand by while sanctioned ships sail the oceans with black-market oil, whose proceeds will fuel the narcoterrorism and illegitimate governments around the world." According to a person familiar with the situation, the U.S. is preparing a list of "several" more sanctioned oil tankers that could be seized. According to two people, the U.S. Justice Department (USJD) and Homeland Security planned the seizures months in advance. The Maduro government would be financially strained if Venezuelan oil exports were to cease or reduce. They are the main source of revenue for Venezuelan governments. The new U.S. strategy focuses on what's called the "shadow fleet" of tankers, which transports oil sanctioned to China, as the biggest buyer of crude from Venezuela or Iran. The sources said that a single vessel would often make separate trips for Iran, Venezuela, and Russia. Sources said that the seizure by the navy of the Skipper tanker caused at least one shipper temporarily to suspend three newly loaded shipments of Merey export grade from Venezuela, totaling nearly 6 million barrels. A trading executive involved in the shipping and dealing of Venezuelan oil said, "The cargoes had just been loaded and were about start sailing to Asia." The voyages have been cancelled, and the tankers are now waiting near the Venezuelan coast because it is safer. Surveillance of Targets One source said that U.S. forces are monitoring the tankers on sea, as well as some vessels being repaired or loaded in Venezuelan ports. They will wait until they sail into international waters before they take action. Another source said that in the weeks leading up to the arrest of Skipper - which had been previously sanctioned by the U.S. government for its oil trade with Iran - U.S. troops had increased surveillance of the?waters near Venezuela and the neighboring Guyana. One source said that the timing of future seizures will partly depend on how fast ports can receive seized ships to unload oil cargoes. The shadow fleet of vessels that transports sanctioned oil is largely old, the ownership is opaque, and they do not have top-tier insurance. Many ports would be reluctant to accept the vessels because of this. One of the sources claimed that a U.S. Warship monitored and briefly detained a vessel called Seahorse in November, before it sailed into Venezuela. Legal experts said that while the Venezuelan government called the U.S. seizure "an act international piracy", it didn't fall under this definition in international law. Laurence Atkin-Teillet is a British specialist in piracy, law of the ocean and maritime terrorism. The term "piracy" in this context seems to be a rhetorical or figurative usage, and not a legal one.

• New York Times Business News - December 11,

  These are the most popular stories from the business pages of the New York Times. The New York Times has not verified the accuracy of these stories. The U.S. House of Representatives has approved a $900 Billion Defense Policy Bill that codifies much of President Donald 'Trump's agenda for national security. However, it also seeks to 'curb Trumps move to withdraw from Europe. Jennifer Homendy warned that a "provision" in the new defense legislation would increase the risk of mid-air collisions around the Washington area airport, where a fatal crash killed 67 in January. - President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday that the U.S. had seized an oil tanker sanctioned by Venezuela off its coast. This move sent oil prices soaring and escalated tensions in Washington and Caracas. On Wednesday, the?Trump Administration launched a website that allows people to apply for a "goldcard," a visa expedited by the federal government. The card will be given to those who pay at minimum $1 million. (Compiled by Bengaluru Newsroom)

• US Senator says FAA administrator failed divest airline stocks

  The Senate Commerce Committee's top Democrat said that the Federal Aviation Administration chief failed to divest a?his holdings in Republic Airways, in violation of an ethics agreement. U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell from Washington stated that FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford who was previously CEO of Republic Airways had agreed to sell his holdings in 90 days after confirmation. Bedford, at the time of confirmation, reported owning stock in Republic Airways worth between $6 and $30 million. It appears you have retained significant equity in the conflicting asset for months after the deadline set to divest fully from Republic. This is a violation of your ethics contract. Cantwell stated that this is "inacceptable" and demanded a full account. Bedford, according to the FAA, will directly respond to Cantwell. Cantwell released a letter dated December 8, 2008, from the Office of Government Ethics. The letter stated that Bedford had "not complied" with the ethics agreement and had requested an amendment for the extension of the divestiture period of the last conflicting asset: Republic Airways. The ethics office stated that the request was not up to standard. The office stated that it was not informed of Bedford's divestment. The U.S. Department of Transportation was asked to emphasize to Bedford that "it is his responsibility to avoid any action which could create a conflict of interest in his 'holdings. Republic completed its merger on November 25 with Mesa Air Group. According to the merger agreement, Republic stockholders will own about 88% of the combined stock. Cantwell stated that the company has the largest Embraer fleet in the world, with 310 'E-Jets. Cantwell's letter stated that it was unclear whether the merger would increase the value of the shares you owned in Republic, which you were required to sell before the merger closed. Cantwell is asking Bedford if he plans to sell all of his airline shares. He also wants a list of everything he has been disqualified from because of this holding.

• Senator says FAA chief failed to sell Republic shares as per ethics agreement.

  According to a public letter published on Tuesday, the head of the Federal Aviation Administration said he hadn't divested his shares in Republic Airways. However, he would continue not to be involved with any issues that might impact the airline’s finances while he worked to sell his holdings. Last week, Democratic U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell stated that Bryan Bedford, former CEO of Republic and FAA Administrator, had violated his ethics agreement because he hadn't completed the sale of shares within 90 days after his confirmation. Bedford informed Cantwell, in a Monday letter, that he was recused from any matters affecting Republic's financial interest and that he was selling the shares as soon as "reasonably practicable". Bedford held Republic stock worth between $6 million and 30 million dollars at the time of confirmation. Republic completed its merger with Mesa Air Group on November 25. In an email sent to the Office of Government Ethics on December 5, a Transportation Department lawyer stated that Bedford was unable complete the sale due to "significant demands" made upon his time. The Office of Government Ethics (OGE) responded on the same day, stating that they had stated in early October that being busy with his position did not constitute an "unusual hardship" and that others had been denied similar requests. Cantwell's Office said that its review of documents indicated Bedford didn't appear to have divested until early December. Even if Bedford received the 60-day extensions he requested on October 7, he still should have divested by December 6. But he did not do this. Cantwell's Office said Bedford stated that he had to wait until Republic share certificates were issued before he could divest. However, "that doesn't explain why he didn't divest within the original timeline agreed upon - which was?before merger closed. The FAA declined comment. Bedford declined to comment on the matter earlier on Tuesday, when asked. He said he would discuss it at a Senate Commerce Committee Hearing on Wednesday. The Republican Senator Ted Cruz did not respond immediately to a comment request. (Reporting and editing by Jamie Freed in Washington, David Shepardson)

• FAA chief claims he still hasn't sold his shares in Republic Airways

  According to a public letter published on Tuesday, the head of the Federal Aviation Administration stated that he had not divested shares in Republic Airlines but would "continue" to recuse himself from any issues which could affect the airline's financial health. Last week, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell stated that FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford who was previously CEO of Republic had violated his ethics agreement because he hadn't completed the sale of shares, despite having agreed to do so within 90 days after his confirmation. Bedford informed Cantwell that he was recused from any matter which had a direct impact on Republic's interests and was working hard to sell the shares as soon as it would be reasonable. Bedford held stock in Republic worth between $6 and $30 million at the time of his confirmation. On November 25, Republic completed the merger with Mesa Air Group. Cantwell's Office said that its review of documents indicated that Bedford did not appear have taken any action to divest itself from Republic until the beginning of December. (Reporting and editing by Jamie Freed in Washington, David Shepardson is Washington.

• Port executive: Imports at the busiest US seaport fell 11.5% in November due to tariffs

  Gene Seroka said that the Port of Los Angeles handled 11.5% less volume of imports in November than the same month last year. Shippers had built up early inventories to avoid President Donald Trump's new tariffs on items such as auto parts, toys and metal furniture. Imports at the Port of Los Angeles totaled 406,421 20 foot equivalent units (TEUs). He said that exports fell 8.4%, to 113.706 TEUs. This was due to the fact that retaliatory duties on U.S. agricultural and manufactured products, as well as trade agreements excluding United States, began to take hold. He said that export volume has fallen?for 11 consecutive months. Seroka expects the total volume to reach 10 million TEUs in 2025, roughly on par with 2024. It will be the third highest volume ever recorded despite the U.S. Tariff Policy. Seroka stated, "I believe the uncertainty will be here to stay for at least the next year." This is a headwind that we might have to deal with for a while. Descartes Systems Group, a provider of supply-chain technologies, said earlier this month that imports to all U.S. port fell 7.8% from the previous year in November due to a softening demand for Chinese goods and one less day in the holiday month. In the coming months, the U.S. Supreme Court is expected to make a ruling on the legality and tariffs imposed by the Trump administration under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. U.S. trade representative Jamieson Greer stated earlier this month that if the justices rule in favor of the administration, Washington will turn to other laws for new tariffs. By 2026, the global?trade will continue to be threatened by tariff pressures and other factors, including Russia's conflict in Ukraine, and the fragile ceasefire that exists between Israel and Hamas?in Gaza. Constance Hunter said that large fiscal deficits could lead to austerity measures in many countries. She said that, closer to home, U.S. firms may begin?passing on more tariff costs, after absorbing them in this year. "That'll certainly put a dent in consumption." Hunter stated that?tax refunds under Trump's spending and tax bill could increase U.S. inflation and spending in the first quarter 2026. "We expect that the tax refunds will be a large part of consumer spending and close to 3% GDP by then." (Reporting and editing by Matthew Lewis in Los Angeles.

• US FAA spends $6 billion on air traffic radar, telecom and other equipment

  Bryan Bedford, the head of the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration, said that the agency will spend $6 billion on telecom infrastructure for air traffic control and on radar surveillance systems by 2028. Congress has approved $12.5 billion for the reform of the U.S. aging air traffic control system, and the administration is seeking another $19 billion to complete the project. The FAA air traffic control system has suffered a number of failures including major outages affecting Newark traffic. FAA Administrator Bedford also defended his agency's decision of requiring flight cuts in the midst of a government shutdown. He told a U.S. House Aviation Subcommittee that he will ensure the safety air traffic?in Washington, despite legislation which could allow for more military helicopter flights. Bedford stated that the FAA has compressed radar and telecom modernization into a 3-year timeline, down 15 years. It had also already "transitioned" more than a third of its copper infrastructure onto fiber. Last month, FAA announced that it had selected Peraton, an American national security company owned and operated by Veritas, to oversee the overhaul of the U.S. aging air traffic control system. Congress approved funding following decades of complaints about airport congestion, technological failures, and flight delays. Bedford stated at the hearing that Donald Trump demanded Peraton to accept $200 million less for overseeing the contract than originally planned. Peraton didn't immediately comment. In a report from 2023, it was stated that the FAA’s communication system had been outdated for several years. It also said that many of its systems were no longer able to be repaired. A separate report last year said that 51 of the FAA's air traffic control telesytems were unsustainable. The FAA said Peraton would begin working on initial priorities, such as setting up new digital command centers and converting to modern fiber infrastructure from copper. A report released in October showed that the FAA's 15-billion dollar "Next Gen" overhaul of air traffic control project, which began more than 20 years ago, had been plagued by delays and cost overruns, as well as being less ambitious than originally envisioned. (Reporting and editing by Alexander Smith in Washington, David Shepardson)

• FAA establishes new office for air safety after deadly mid-air collision

  Federal Aviation Administration announced on Monday that it will open a "new aviation safety" office, as part of its strategic plan. The goal is to improve hiring and training while identifying potential hazards quickly. This comes after criticisms for not addressing near-misses. FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford released "Flight Plan 2026", in response to a mid-air collision that occurred between an American Airlines Regional Jet and an Army Helicopter near Reagan Washington National Airport on January 28th, which killed 67 people. He said that the plan will create an FAA Safety Management System and implement a FAA-wide safety risk management process. Bedford stated that to achieve this goal, the Safety Integration Office will be established, safety risk heat maps developed, increased transparency and accountability improved at all levels within the organization. FAA is also moving into the building where?the U.S. Transportation Department has its headquarters. In a memo to its employees, Bedford stated that "Aviation changes rapidly and the nation expects FAA to lead the way with confidence, competence and clarity." The FAA is planning to create a pilot program for applicants of aircraft certification to be able to take part in digitized certification process. Sean Duffy, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, harshly criticised the FAA's failure to act in the face of dozens near-miss incidents prior to the fatal crash that occurred on January 29, days after U.S. president Donald Trump took office. Duffy stated that "we had 84 near-misses within the D.C. area in the previous three years, but no one took any action." Someone was sleeping at the wheel. Someone should have noticed that." Both parties of Congress have asked why the FAA has not acted for so many years in response to close calls with helicopters near Reagan Airport. Jennifer Homendy, chair of the National Transportation Safety Board, said that in August FAA ignored warnings about serious safety concerns. Homendy stated that the FAA had transferred out people instead of accepting responsibility for the fact that everyone in the FAA tower was saying there was an issue. "Fix it. "Do better." Bedford, who was appointed in July, oversees a $12.5-billion rehabilitation of U.S. Air Traffic Control?and Duffy is asking for another $19-billion to finish the job. Bedford, who was a former airline chief executive, had been critical of the FAA’s leadership and culture before he took office. Early May, the FAA barred Army helicopters from flying around the Pentagon following a close call in May that caused two civilian planes abort landings. The FAA implemented new restrictions in April to prevent helicopters from colliding with passenger planes at the busy Harry Reid International Airport, Las Vegas, and has also expanded buffer zones around airports in the Washington, D.C. area. Bedford will testify in front of two congressional committees beginning Tuesday. David Shepardson, Washington correspondent; Chris Reese, Jamie Freed and Chris Reese are the editors.

• JetBlue flight avoids collision with US Air Force jet in mid-air

  A JetBlue passenger plane bound for New York avoided a mid-air crash on Friday with a U.S. Air Force Tanker near Venezuela by taking evasive actions, according to a recording of an air traffic control system. JetBlue Flight 1112 was departing from Curacao in the Caribbean and flying approximately 40 miles (64km) off the coast Venezuela when an Airbus A320 reported spotting the Air Force jet. The Air Force plane did not have its Transponder turned on. JetBlue's pilot stated that the Air Force pilot flew within a few mile of the plane at the same height. They passed directly through our flight path... The transponders are not on. "It's outrageous", said the pilot. JetBlue's pilot said that the Air Force jet entered Venezuelan airspace. "We nearly had a mid air collision up here." INCIDENT RECALLS DEADLY JANUARY CRASH Senate Commerce Committee Chair Ted Cruz noted on Monday that an Army helicopter had ?collided with an American Airlines flight on January 29 near Reagan Washington National Airport, killing 67 people, and was not using an advanced tracking technology called an automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast system, also ?known as ADS-B. Why do we tolerate near misses? Cruz spoke about the JetBlue incident. Maria Cantwell said that the JetBlue incident 'raised concern and the public needs a better system. Cantwell stated that "this is not acceptable". You can't have military planes and commercial aircraft flying in the same corridors without letting one another know. "We just can't do that." They spoke at a Monday press conference to push for the removal of a provision in a defense bill, which must be passed annually, that, according to them, would weaken safety by allowing military planes to fly through Washington, DC's airspace without transmitting ADSB information. JetBlue's spokesperson stated on Monday that safety was the company's number one priority. Our crew is trained in proper procedures to handle different flight situations. We appreciate that our crew reported this incident promptly to our leadership team. We have reported the incident to federal authorities, and we will be a part of any investigation." U.S. Military Active in Region The incident occurred as the United States mounted a massive military buildup in southern Caribbean, as President Donald Trump campaigns against Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro. This has pushed relations to the most volatile point they have been in years. U.S. 'Southern Command' said in a Monday statement that it was aware and was reviewing the matter. The military said that its "aircrews" are highly-trained professionals who follow established procedures and adhere to applicable airspace requirements. Safety is our top priority. We are using the "appropriate channels" to evaluate the facts of the situation. The Federal Aviation Administration issued a warning to major airlines last month about a "potentially dangerous situation" while flying over Venezuela, and encouraged them to be cautious. As tensions worsened, major airlines around the globe have suspended flights. Trump has also threatened to start hitting Venezuelan land targets. The FAA didn't immediately comment on Monday about the JetBlue incident. (Reporting and editing by Lisa Shumaker, Jamie Freed, and David Shepardson from Washington)