The US air force launched devastating strikes on Caracas, turning the heart of the capital into a war zone! - Angry reaction from Venezuela - To an unknown location, as captives of the Americans, President Nicolás Maduro and his wife were transferred
A shock and awe operation was launched by the Americans in Venezuela at dawn on Saturday 3 January.
In a move of escalation, the US President, Donald Trump, ordered the official invasion of Venezuela, with a barrage of strikes on military installations, escalating the campaign against the President of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, and according to a post by Donald Trump himself, Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores were captured and have already been transferred out of the country to a location that remains unknown so far.
Donald Trump: “Brilliant operation” by the Delta Force
According to information from the television network CBS, the operation to capture the President of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, and his wife was carried out by “the ghosts” of the United States military, the most elite unit of the United States special forces, the Delta Force.
President Donald Trump, in a brief telephone communication with the New York Times, praised the preparation and execution of the plan:
“It was a brilliant operation, exceptionally well planned.
We had very good planning, great troops, and great people.”
Trump described the intervention as a necessary move to combat “narco terrorism” and to restore freedom in the hemisphere.
It is recalled that the Delta Force is the same unit that in 2019 neutralized the leader of the Islamic State, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
Maduro trial is coming!
The US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, declared the end of operations in Venezuela and stated that he “does not expect further action in Venezuela now that Maduro is under American custody”.
The Secretary of State clarified that the military action, the bombings in Caracas, was carried out in order to “protect and defend those who were executing the arrest warrant”, and that Maduro was arrested to be tried for charges of narco terrorism and drug trafficking that have been pending against him since 2020, while he has already been placed under a 50 million dollar bounty.
Christopher Landau (US Deputy Secretary of State): “The tyrant is gone, he will finally be brought before justice”
The US Deputy Secretary of State, Christopher Landau, following the capture of the leader of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, by the American military, stated that he will be tried for “crimes”.
“He will finally appear before justice for his ‘crimes’,” Landau wrote on Twitter (X). In another post, he spoke of a “new dawn for Venezuela,” emphasizing that “the tyrant is gone”.
Pam Bondi (US Attorney General): We will exhaust the full severity of American justice
The US Attorney General, Pam Bondi, stated that Nicolás Maduro “will soon face the full wrath of American justice on American soil, in American courts”.
Writing on social media early on Saturday, Bondi referred to the indictment against Maduro, which charges him with “Narco Terrorism Conspiracy, Cocaine Importation Conspiracy, Possession of Machine Guns and Destructive Devices, as well as Conspiracy to Possess Machine Guns and Destructive Devices against the United States”.
Maduro had been indicted by the Southern District of New York in 2020, but it was not clear where exactly he was located on Saturday morning.
Bondi thanked Trump and the US military, who, as she said, “conducted the incredible and highly successful mission to arrest these two alleged international drug traffickers,” referring to Maduro and his wife.
According to US federal law, the charges described by Bondi carry crushing penalties:
1) Narco Terrorism Conspiracy: Minimum mandatory sentence of 20 years and up to life imprisonment.
2) Cocaine Importation: Minimum sentence of 10 years and up to life imprisonment.
3) Possession of Machine Guns and Destructive Devices: Minimum sentence of 30 years and up to life imprisonment.
The Vice President of Venezuela, Delcy Rodríguez, demands “proof of life” for Maduro
Following the announcement by the American president regarding the capture of Maduro, the Vice President of Venezuela, Delcy Rodríguez, speaking on state television on the morning of Saturday (3/1/2026), demanded that “proof of life” be provided and that the location where the President of the country, Nicolás Maduro, is being held be disclosed.
Rodríguez emphasized that the government is unaware of the fate of the President and the First Lady, Cilia Flores, following the American attacks on the Presidential Palace and military installations in Caracas.
The timeline of the operation
From 07:50 (Greece time, Saturday 3 January), Caracas has been under a barrage of fire, with American forces launching a large scale aerial operation, as the capital of Venezuela has been plunged into darkness and chaos.
The explosions shook the city as American forces caused incalculable damage to the decision making centers of the government of Venezuela.
American officials confirmed to the American network CBS that the president ordered strikes on strategic targets, including military bases in Caracas, as well as in the states of Miranda, Aragua, and La Guaira.
Targets
Specifically, the US Air Force unleashed a hell of fire in the early hours in the heart of the capital, Caracas, striking with surgical precision:
1) The Miraflores Presidential Palace, resulting in the activation of the palace defense plan.
2) The General Staff of the Armed Forces and the Ministry of Defense, the control centers of the army.
3) Airports and bases: the La Carlota base, the Fuerte Tiuna base, the F-16 air base in Barquisimeto, and the helicopter base in Higuerote were hit.
4) The Mausoleum of Hugo Chavez: reports indicate a strike on the Cuartel de la Montaña, where the remains of the former leader are kept.
Operation “Southern Spear” and high technology of death: Cruise missiles and Chinook
Military analysts point out that the United States used precision weapons to neutralize the country’s air defenses.
RGM-109E Tomahawk missiles are reported to have been used, launched from ships in the Caribbean, as well as AGM-86D missiles launched from strategic bombers.
CH-47G Chinook helicopters of SOCOM (160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment) were sighted over Caracas, a fact that reinforces information about the presence of American special forces on the ground (boots on the ground).
As reported by CBS, American forces invaded with the aim of “locking down” the control centers of Venezuela, in order to neutralize any capability of counterattack, while American special forces are already on the ground (boots on the ground), supported by SOCOM helicopters, and operating at strategic points.
CBS reports that Trump’s order was clear: immediate neutralization of the military leadership that remains loyal to Maduro and seizure of infrastructure before the allies of the regime have time to react.
There are unconfirmed reports of fierce exchanges of fire at military airfields.
Military fortresses, “Tiuna Fortress,” and the port under fire
The operation has the immediate objective of seizing and securing the country’s critical military installations, placing the regime of Nicolás Maduro under an absolute siege.
American forces are reported to have already brought parts of Fort Tiuna under their control.
Tiuna Fortress, the impregnable military complex on the southern side of the city, received the main wave of the attack.
The strategic air base La Carlota was engulfed in flames, while at the same time the port of Caracas and military targets in La Guaira were hit.
Armored vehicles of the Venezuelan army have already taken to the streets in an attempt to control the chaos that prevails.
Nightmarish testimonies: “The sky filled with Chinook”
Residents of the capital, terrified, report that they saw swarms of American Chinook helicopters flying at low altitude over the city, spreading panic.
The strongest indication of a US military operation came from a video that is said to show Chinook helicopters of the MH-47 series somewhere near Caracas.
These specially equipped helicopters are used almost exclusively by the United States Special Operations Command (SOCOM).
Reuters reported that there is a power outage in certain parts of Caracas after the explosions, including an area where a key military base is located.
Angry reaction of Venezuela - The government declared general mobilization
Venezuela accuses the United States of “very serious military aggression”
In its statement, the Maduro government said that it “repudiates and denounces to the international community the very serious military aggression” by the government of the United States.
It confirmed that the strikes targeted civilian and military locations in the city of Caracas and in the states of Miranda, Aragua, and La Guaira, and pledged to defend itself against the strikes, accusing the United States of pursuing regime change.
“The entire country is being activated to defeat this imperialist aggression,” the government statement said, adding a call for an immediate meeting of the United Nations Security Council.
Vladimir Padrino (Venezuelan Minister of Defense) - We will resist!
Venezuela will resist the presence of foreign troops, said Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino in a video early on Saturday, as reported by Reuters, as Donald Trump stated that the President of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, was captured and removed from the country by air.
“We will put into action all the defensive plans for which we were preparing.
In execution of the constitution of Venezuela. the military, in execution of the instructions of the President of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, will make every effort for the defense of the nation, the restoration of order, and peace,” he said.
URGENTE - Venezuela:
— Roi Lopez Rivas (@RoiLopezRivas) January 3, 2026
Ministro de Defensa Vladimir Padrino López: "¡Pueblo heroico de Venezuela! ¡Soldados de la Patria! ¡Hijos e Hijas de Bolívar!
La Fuerza Armada Nacional Bolivariana, informa al mundo entero, que en la madrugada de hoy 03 de enero de 2026 el pueblo… pic.twitter.com/h1j2TYcxkw
“All forces of air, land, and naval defense, as well as the police, will be used,” the minister added.
An early morning attack by the United States on the country struck residential areas, Padrino said, and Venezuela is gathering information on the dead and wounded.
The warning of Donald Trump and the anger of Maduro
The United States began a pressure campaign against Venezuela as early as October, accusing President Nicolás Maduro of links to drug cartels, which were later designated as terrorist organizations. In September, the campaign escalated with strikes against alleged drug trafficking vessels in the Caribbean Sea and the Eastern Pacific Ocean.
Since then, approximately 35 vessels have been hit, with at least 115 traffickers killed.
In December 2025, the administration of President Donald Trump escalated the situation once again, ordering a naval blockade of all oil tankers that are under American sanctions and enter or exit ports of Venezuela.
Throughout this period, multiple reports from American media outlets revealed plans by Washington to attack Venezuela directly, and even to overthrow Maduro.
This attack comes as the culmination of tensions, after the US president, Donald Trump, had openly warned of military intervention under the pretext of combating drug trafficking.
Nicolás Maduro, in a recent interview, had accused the United States of “inventing causes for war” in order to invade his country, however in his latest statements he emphasized that he is open and ready for a dialogue with his American counterpart Donald Trump.
The attack was a Christmas project
According to sources of CBS, Donald Trump had given the “OK” for land strikes (land strikes) days ago, but delayed due to weather and priorities on other fronts.
Reports of MH-47 Chinook helicopters of SOCOM reinforce the assessment that this is a special forces operation aimed at seizing critical infrastructure and securing military installations.
The strikes follow months of concentration of military forces in the Caribbean, with the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford and numerous other warships positioned, while SOCOM deployed forces in Puerto Rico and near Trinidad and Tobago.
The military operation in Venezuela could be limited, aimed at exerting greater pressure on Caracas, or extensive with the ultimate objective of overthrowing Maduro, and possibly even his arrest, as he is wanted by the American judicial system on charges related to drugs.
If the latter is true, the fighting could continue for days, or even much longer.
What is happening does not come as a surprise
While the United States launched the pressure campaign against Venezuela using the drug problem as a pretext, in recent weeks Trump openly expressed his interest in seizing the country’s oil reserves, which are believed to be the largest in the world.
Since the United States participated in the Israeli attack against Iran last June, it became clear that Washington has returned to the era of direct military interventions.
This could very well be the beginning of yet another endless war.
María Corina Machado (Opposition, Venezuela) - I support Trump
It is recalled that the leader of the Venezuelan opposition, María Corina Machado, stated to CBS News in mid December that she “absolutely” supports the strategy of President Trump in the country.
“We, the people of Venezuela, are very grateful to him and to his administration, because I believe that he is a champion of freedom in this hemisphere,” Machado said on the program “Face the Nation” with Margaret Brennan.
Asked whether she would welcome a US military action in Venezuela, Machado did not rule it out, saying, “I would welcome more and more pressure, so that Maduro understands that he must leave.”
A former legislator who was barred from running in Venezuela’s presidential elections in 2024, Machado was honored this year with the Nobel Peace Prize and received the award in Norway after a dangerous maritime escape from Venezuela. She dedicated the prize to Mr Trump.
International reactions, geopolitical tremors, and leaks about an exit agreement!
The capture of the President of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, entails the risk of serious geopolitical upheavals.
This constitutes a significant escalation in the long standing political battle between Trump and the leader of Venezuela.
Russia, China, and Iran had expressed their solidarity with Maduro.
However, one should not exclude the British leaks suggesting that his exit is the result of behind the scenes negotiations, since in the past he had been offered safe passage in order to resign.
Cuba and Iran denounced the attack as “state terrorism” and a “blatant violation of national sovereignty”.
Russia, together with Iran and Colombia, requested the emergency convening of the United Nations Security Council to examine the “act of armed aggression” by the United States.
Russia condemns the American attacks and characterizes the pretexts “groundless”
The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs requested “immediate clarifications” regarding the situation in Venezuela.
“We are extremely concerned by reports that the President of Venezuela, Maduro, and his wife were forcibly removed from the country during today’s aggressive actions by the United States,” the ministry said in a statement.
“We demand immediate clarifications regarding this situation,” it added, stressing that such actions, if true, constitute an “unacceptable violation of the sovereignty of an independent state, respect for which is a fundamental principle of international law”.
Earlier, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs described the strikes on Venezuela as “a matter of deep concern and condemnation”.
“The pretexts used to justify such actions are groundless,” it adds.
“Ideological hostility triumphed over professional realism and the willingness to build relations of trust and predictability”.
Subsequently, the ministry states that “it is critical, above all, to prevent further escalation and to emphasize the search for a way out through dialogue”.
“Latin America must remain a zone of peace, as it self proclaimed in 2014,” the statement adds.
“And in Venezuela, the right to determine its own destiny must be ensured without any destructive, let alone military, external intervention”.
“We reaffirm our solidarity with the people of Venezuela, and our support for the course of its Bolivarian leadership, which aims to protect the national interests and the sovereignty of the country,” the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs concludes in a statement on its website.
The Russian embassy in Caracas announced that it did not suffer damage from the bombings and that all its personnel are safe.
The response of the United States: “We do not answer to supporters of tyrants”
The White House spokesperson, in an emergency briefing following Moscow’s statements, made clear that the United States will not provide details of the operation to Russia.
“The United States owes no explanation to a regime that systematically supports dictators and narco terrorists,” the statement said.
Regarding the Russian accusations of violations of international law, the White House asserted the following:
The operation was characterized as an “international law enforcement action” to arrest wanted criminals who had been placed under indictment by American justice.
The United States claims that its action aimed at restoring stability in the western hemisphere and halting the flow of drugs that financed the Maduro regime.
“The era in which Russia used Venezuela as a geopolitical pawn is over,” the briefing concluded.
Europe in confusion
A barrage of reactions is now coming from several European leaders, who are responding to the military operation of the United States in Venezuela.
Restraint and respect for international law demanded by Kaja Kallas
The head of the European Union’s foreign policy, Kaja Kallas, stated that she spoke with the US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, as well as with the EU ambassador in Caracas.
“The EU has repeatedly stated that Maduro lacks legitimacy and has defended a peaceful transition,” she wrote on X, while also calling for respect for the principles of international law and the UN Charter.
The Belgian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Maxime Prevot, posted on X that his country’s embassy in Bogotá, Colombia, was “fully mobilized” to respond to the situation.
“The situation is being closely monitored, in coordination with our European partners,” he stated.
The Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs, David van Weel, said that the situation in Caracas was “still unclear,” adding that the Netherlands is monitoring developments and is in contact with its embassy in Venezuela.
The Spanish Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, stated that his government is “closely monitoring events in Venezuela.”
He wrote on X that their embassy and consulates in the country are operating, while issuing a call for “de escalation.”
At the same time, the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that it is “verifying” the number of its citizens in the country, with spokesperson Maciej Wewiór clarifying that there is no information about citizens in need of assistance.
The President of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, “categorically condemned” the actions of the United States in Venezuela, according to the state news agency Belta.
The Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs also stated that the US “armed aggression” constitutes a “direct threat” to international peace and security.
President of Colombia Petro: Global alarm! They are bombing Venezuela...
In a post on X, the president of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, called for a global alarm.
“At this moment they are bombing Caracas.
Alarm across the entire world, they attacked Venezuela.
They are bombing with missiles.
The Organization of American States and the United Nations must meet immediately.”
JUST IN - President of Colombia: "Alert to the whole world, they have attacked Venezuela." pic.twitter.com/mQjmZoQguN
— Disclose.tv (@disclosetv) January 3, 2026
Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez (President of Cuba): Criminal attack by the United States
The president of Cuba denounces the strikes on Venezuela as a “criminal attack by the United States.”
The President of Cuba, Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, stated in a post on social media that his country condemns “the criminal attack of the United States” against Venezuela and called for an urgent condemnation by the international community for what he described as “state terrorism against the brave people of Venezuela and against Our America.”
#Cuba denuncia y demanda URGENTE reacción de la comunidad internacional contra criminal ataque de E.U a #Venezuela. Nuestra #ZonaDePaz está siendo brutalmente asaltada. Terrorismo de Estado contra el bravo pueblo venezolano y contra Nuestra América.
— Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez (@DiazCanelB) January 3, 2026
Patria o Muerte ¡Venceremos!
Skepticism among Republicans - Senator Mike Lee - What could justify this war?
Shortly after the launch of US strikes against Venezuela, Republican Senator Mike Lee of Utah expressed skepticism, writing in a post on X: “I look forward to learning what, if anything, could constitutionally justify this action in the absence of a declaration of war or an authorization for the use of military force.”
Democrats furious - Senator Ruben Gallego: “This war is illegal”
Democratic Senator Ruben Gallego of Arizona wrote on X: “This war is illegal.”
The senator, a veteran of the United States Marine Corps who had been deployed to Iraq, called it the “second unjustified war of my lifetime.”
In recent months, Democrats in Congress and some Republicans have opposed the military escalation of the Trump administration in the region, forcing votes in the House and the Senate on measures that would prohibit the United States from striking Venezuela without the approval of Congress.
These measures were voted down.
Flight ban over Venezuela: The FAA closes the airspace due to the American invasion!
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) prohibited American commercial air carriers from flying at all altitudes over Venezuela, citing “risks to flight safety related to ongoing military activity.”
The notice was issued at 2 a.m. local time in Caracas (1 a.m. Eastern Time) on Saturday and was set to expire at 1 a.m. Caracas time on Sunday.
The order does not apply to foreign or military aircraft.
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