TAMPA, Fla. — Hundreds of travelers found themselves stranded in Puerto Rico this weekend after the Federal Aviation Administration issued a temporary airspace restriction over parts of the Caribbean. The FAA said the move was related to recent developments in Venezuela involving U.S. efforts to capture President Nicolás Maduro.
WATCH: Tampa area families stranded in Puerto Rico after Venezuela military action cancels flights
More than a dozen flights to and from Puerto Rico were canceled, affecting travelers who were trying to return home after New Year's celebrations on the island.
Sheila Hayes and her family were among those affected. They traveled to Puerto Rico to ring in the New Year and were scheduled to return home Sunday on a Frontier flight.
"Our trip was fantastic up until last night," Hayes said.
Instead of returning as planned, the family found themselves stranded after international tensions in Venezuela disrupted Caribbean airspace.
The airport in San Juan posted on social media that the FAA ordered parts of the Caribbean airspace to shut down due to military activity in Venezuela.
Sam Brady, another local traveler, shared a video from Puerto Rico showing crowds of people at the San Juan airport dealing with the disruptions.
Hayes, a seasoned traveler who runs a travel page called 'She Mama Maps', said she has never experienced anything like this situation.
"I never imagined that it would result in us being stuck here for a week. So, I'm shocked. It's nothing I've ever seen before in about 40 years of travel," Hayes said.
A Tampa International Airport spokesperson said that 12 flights to and from Puerto Rico were canceled Saturday, one on Sunday, and three on Monday, with one additional delay.
The Hayes family said their flight was delayed twice before ultimately being canceled.
"We found out about three hours before the flight was supposed to take off that it was canceled," Chris LaRosa said.
"You also didn't even get a notification, either. I had to go on a website. I was the one who found out it got canceled," added Brady, Sheila Hayes's son.
Hayes said the reason they were given was staff regulation issues regarding how long crew members can work.
While spending extra days on the island might seem appealing, Hayes said the delay is already affecting her husband's work.
"I am a charter captain for the Real Gulf Predator Charters, and I have charters booked. I have a lot of work I need to get done, I'm not gonna be able to get done," LaRosa said.
Brady, a seventh grader at Sunlake Academy of Math and Science, will miss a week of school, including three high school credit courses.
"It honestly worries me, because, if I'm behind by a week, I also have work to make up with for the next week, which basically is just gonna keep me behind, kind of, for at least a month, I think," Brady said.
Hayes said they found a possible flight into Jacksonville on Saturday but are continuing to look for closer options.
"We're just gonna try to make the best of a bad situation," LaRosa said.
The family is hoping to leave Puerto Rico as early as this weekend.
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