President Donald Trump said airlines should consider the airspace above and around Venezuela to be closed as his administration continues to threaten more aggressive steps against President Nicolas Maduro’s government.

U.S. forces have been massing in the region as Trump weighs military action that would go beyond U.S. strikes on boats that Washington claims are ferrying narcotics toward the U.S.

In recent days, Trump has hinted at potential U.S. operations on land in Venezuela, but stopped short of specifying whether the U.S. would begin such strikes, or when.

Trump’s vague announcement Saturday about the country’s airspace may prove to be a bid for leverage in any eventual negotiations with Maduro, whether held directly or indirectly. Or it could be a precursor to expanded strikes in the region, which have been carried out so far against boats under suspect legal authority and drawn concern from allies.

“To all Airlines, Pilots, Drug Dealers, and Human Traffickers, please consider THE AIRSPACE ABOVE AND SURROUNDING VENEZUELA TO BE CLOSED IN ITS ENTIRETY,” Trump wrote in a social post from his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida.

The White House didn’t immediately respond to a request for elaboration.

Venezuela rejected Trump’s “hostile” post and demanded “unrestricted respect” for its airspace, according to a government statement published Saturday.

“Such statements represent an explicit threat of force,” Maduro’s government said. “Venezuela will not accept orders, threats, or interference from any foreign power.” Venezuela also claimed that the U.S. government suspended weekly flights carrying Venezuelan migrants to Caracas.

Trump’s message resembles the concept of a no-fly zone, which is often a precursor to a broader military operation, said Andrei Serbin Pont, president of the Buenos Aires-based research group CRIES, who closely monitors Venezuela’s security issues. “A no-fly zone usually defines the necessary parameters prior to carrying out some type of military operation. They have already been very clear about the possibility of attacks on ground targets.”

Serbin Pont doesn’t see much room for dialog between Washington and Caracas, as Trump’s communication seems to indicate more the imposition of his will. “There is some dialog, but it is aimed at getting Maduro out, so there is not much room for a real negotiation.”

Earlier this week Maduro asked Venezuelans to “give their lives” if needed to defend the nation from “imperialist attacks.” Still, life has carried on normally for most Venezuelans despite the mounting threats, with the capital buzzing ahead of Christmas celebrations and people pouring out of stores for Black Friday discounts.

Despite the rising tensions and sporadic supply constraints, Venezuela’s state-led oil industry is operating normally. A handful of foreign oil companies are present in Venezuela, including Chevron Corp., which accounts for about a quarter of national production. The Trump administration’s recent terrorist designation in Venezuela poses legal risks for the companies, experts say.

The U.S. in recent months has been intensifying pressure on Caracas, part of a counter-narcotics operation targeting drug trafficking that the Trump administration says is being led by Maduro’s regime.

The Trump administration has formally designated Venezuela’s Cartel de los Soles as a foreign terrorist organization — which the U.S. is pointing to as legal authority for certain operations, and Venezuela argues is a falsehood to justify an intervention.

At the same time, Trump said he plans to pardon a former president of Honduras who is serving a decades-long U.S. sentence for cocaine trafficking, two days before that nation’s election.

Trump’s Venezuela campaign has seen the U.S. build up its military presence in the region, including with an aircraft carrier and warships, and senior American military officials meeting leaders in the Caribbean.

Trump spoke with Maduro last week and the two discussed a possible meeting, although they haven’t made plans for such an event, the New York Times reported on Friday.

Airlines began canceling flights in and out of Venezuela in response to a U.S. Federal Aviation Administration advisory on Nov. 22 telling operators to “exercise caution” amid the escalating standoff between the two countries.

A wave of electromagnetic noise that’s descended over Venezuela amid the U.S. military buildup is interfering with GPS signals in the country and complicating operations for some ride-sharing and food delivery apps. Combined with increased Venezuelan military exercises, the skies over the country have become more and more of a no-go zone for commercial aircraft.

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(With assistance from Patricia Laya and Alex Vasquez.)

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