WASHINGTON, D.C.: U.S. aviation regulators have issued new safety warnings for airlines operating across parts of Latin America, cautioning that heightened military activity and navigation disruptions could pose risks to civilian flights.

The Federal Aviation Administration said this week it had alerted airlines to exercise caution when flying over Mexico, Central America, and sections of South America, citing concerns about potential military actions and GPS interference.

The FAA said it issued Notices to Airmen covering Mexico and Central American countries, as well as Ecuador, Colombia, and portions of airspace over the eastern Pacific Ocean. The warnings took effect on Friday and will remain in place for 60 days.

The advisory comes amid escalating regional tensions following a series of actions by the Donald Trump administration. The United States recently carried out a significant military buildup in the southern Caribbean, launched an attack on Venezuela, and seized President Nicolas Maduro in an army operation. Trump has also raised the possibility of additional military actions in the region, including against Colombia.

Last week, Trump said drug cartels were running Mexico and suggested the United States could strike land targets to combat them, adding to a series of threats to deploy U.S. military force against criminal groups operating in the region.

Mexico responded to the FAA advisory by stressing that it was precautionary and did not impose any restrictions on Mexican airspace or airlines. The notice applies only to U.S. operators, and aviation operations in Mexico remain unaffected, Mexico's transport ministry said in a statement.

The FAA has previously taken similar steps following military operations in the region. After the attack on Venezuela, the agency restricted flights throughout the Caribbean, leading to the cancellation of hundreds of flights by major airlines.

FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford told Reuters this week that there had been strong coordination between the aviation regulator and the U.S. military ahead of the Venezuela operation.

Concerns about airspace safety were underscored last month when a JetBlue passenger jet flying to New York took evasive action to avoid a mid-air collision with a U.S. Air Force tanker near Venezuela. JetBlue Flight 1112 had departed Curaçao and was flying about 40 miles off Venezuela's coast when the Airbus aircraft reported encountering the military jet, which did not have its transponder activated.