Venezuela Strikes: North Texas family stuck in St. Lucia
Texas family stuck on island as U.S. strikes Venezuela
Strikes in Venezuela prompted the shutdown of flights throughout the Caribbean. And because of it, a North Texas family is stranded there.
DALLAS - Strikes in Venezuela prompted the shutdown of flights throughout the Caribbean. And because of it, a North Texas family is stranded there.
Stuck in St. Lucia
The Anderson family remains in St. Lucia, stuck without a flight back to North Texas until Thursday.
"We were having fun. We were at a beach resort. We were able to relax and just decompress from the busy holiday season and semester," said Lori Anderson. "On our way to the airport, we started getting more notifications. Our flight was delayed."
The Andersons’ flight delay became a cancellation with no option to reschedule.
On Saturday, airspace restrictions reverberating throughout the Caribbean were due to United States military operations in Venezuela.
"Still in our taxi, and we were checked out of the resort we were in. So, we were in full panic mode at that point," Authur Anderson.
The family ended up getting help from their taxi driver to find a place to stay.
Airspace has reopened, but finding a new flight has proven difficult. The earliest flight home the family could get is this coming Thursday.
Thankfully, Arthur can work remotely. But their daughter is missing school, and they’ve had to scramble to find someone who can take care of a pig she’s raising for the Future Farmers of America.
The Andersons said they’re keeping perspective through it all.
"We are just feeling fortunate that we are safe. We are together. We have a place to stay," Lori Anderson said.
Venezuela Airstrikes
The U.S. attack on Venezuela and the capture of President Nicolás Maduro sent shockwaves around the world, raising serious questions about whether the aggression violated international law.
After months of military action in the region, U.S. forces launched more than 150 aircraft overnight Saturday — including bombers, fighter jets, surveillance planes, helicopters and drones — from 20 bases in the Western Hemisphere, according to Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were taken by warship to New York, where they’ll face narco-terrorism conspiracy charges.
President Donald Trump said Saturday that the U.S. will "run" Venezuela, at least temporarily, and tap its vast oil reserves to sell to other nations.
Trump claims US will 'run' Venezuela after Maduro captured
The United States carried out a large-scale strike in Venezuela early Saturday, President Donald Trump said.
Nicolás Maduro Pleads Not Guilty
Maduro declared himself "innocent" and a "decent man" as he pleaded not guilty to federal drug trafficking charges in a U.S. courtroom on Monday.
"I’m innocent. I am not guilty. I am a decent man, the president of my country," Maduro told a judge.
In court Monday, the judge read Maduro his rights and acknowledged his counsel. Maduro said he had not previously known those rights but understood them, and pleaded not guilty to all four federal charges. His wife also pleaded not guilty.
Nicolás Maduro pleads not guilty in NYC court
The capture of Nicolás Maduro represents one of the most aggressive actions taken by the United States against a sitting foreign leader in decades.
The Source: The information in this story comes from FOX 4 reporter Dionne Anglin's interview with the Anderson family and past news coverage.