Authorities have blocked officials from the US from inspecting airports

Reports on 8 September 2008 indicate that Venezuelan authorities have blocked officials from the United States Department of Homeland Security's Transportation Security Administration (TSA) from inspecting international airports in Venezuela to determine whether they comply with security standards adopted by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). Therefore, the Department of Homeland Security issued a warning questioning the security of Venezuelan airports (see comment below). Although the warning will not block flights it may renew tensions between the two countries similar to those in the mid-1990s when the Federal Aviation Administration lowered Venezuela's safety rating to Category 2.