President Donald Trump said the United States carried out overnight air and ground operations in Venezuela and captured President Nicolas Maduro, following years of accusations over drug trafficking and disputed elections. The action triggered explosions across Caracas and several states, and prompted Venezuela’s government to announce a national emergency and mobilise armed forces.
Trump said Maduro and Maduro’s wife were detained by elite special forces and taken out of Venezuela, though officials in Caracas did not immediately confirm this. The move marked the most direct U.S. intervention in Latin America since the 1989 invasion of Panama, when Washington removed Manuel Noriega after similar drug-related allegations.
Venezuela US strikes and Trump’s announcement
Trump used a Truth Social post to outline the claimed result of the Venezuela US strikes. “The United States of America has successfully carried out a large scale strike against Venezuela and its leader, President Nicolas Maduro, who has been, along with his wife, captured and flown out of the country,” Trump said in the message to supporters and critics.
Trump said the Venezuela US strikes were conducted “in conjunction with U.S. Law Enforcement” and announced plans for a detailed briefing at 11 a.m. (1600 GMT) at the Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. A U.S. official told Reuters that special forces led the raid to seize Maduro, but offered no information on casualties or precise locations.
Venezuela US strikes and overnight explosions
In the early hours of January 3, explosions shook central Caracas and several nearby regions, according to Reuters witnesses and local footage. The Venezuelan government reported attacks in the capital and in the states of Miranda, Aragua and La Guaira, and said the Venezuela US strikes forced a nationwide security alert and the deployment of troops.
Eyewitnesses in Caracas described about 90 minutes of blasts, aircraft noise and smoke rising above key districts from around 2 a.m. (0600 GMT). A power cut hit southern Caracas near a main military complex, while a media outlet friendly to the ruling socialist party reported explosions close to the Fuerte Tiuna and La Carlota military bases.
| Location | Reported event | Time (local) |
|---|---|---|
| Caracas | Explosions, aircraft, smoke over city | From about 2 a.m. |
| Miranda | Government-reported attacks | Overnight |
| Aragua | Government-reported attacks | Overnight |
| La Guaira | Government-reported attacks | Overnight |
Venezuela US strikes and Maduro government response
While Trump set out his version of the Venezuela US strikes, senior officials in Caracas rejected the presence of foreign forces on Venezuelan territory. Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino released a video on state media, denouncing external troops and calling on citizens to rally in defence of national sovereignty and territorial control.
Padrino said: “Free, independent and sovereign Venezuela rejects with all the strength of its libertarian history the presence of these foreign troops, which have only left behind death, pain and destruction,” addressing viewers during the broadcast. “Today we clench our fist in defense of what is ours. Let us unite, for in the unity of the people we will find the strength to resist and to triumph.”
Venezuela US strikes, global reaction and regional history
The Venezuela US strikes drew swift criticism from Venezuela’s allies. Cuba opposed the intervention, while Iran called the operation “a blatant violation of national sovereignty and territorial integrity” and asked the U.N. Security Council to act against what Tehran described as “unlawful aggression.” Many Latin American governments historically resist U.S. military actions in the region.
Several administrations in Latin America argue that Maduro stole the 2024 election and have supported sanctions, yet many leaders and populations remain uneasy about direct U.S. attacks, recalling earlier interventions across the hemisphere. Analysts noted that the Venezuela US strikes added fresh tension to already strained relations between Washington and governments across South and Central America.
Venezuela US strikes, residents’ accounts and local impact
People in Caracas posted videos showing bright flashes over the city and columns of dark smoke. One clip captured a woman reacting as blasts illuminated the night sky, exclaiming, “My love, oh no, look at that,” while the sound of distant detonations echoed from residential neighbourhoods on the capital’s eastern side.
Carmen Marquez, aged 50 and living in eastern Caracas, said she climbed to her rooftop when the noises began. “Flare-like lights were crossing the sky and then explosions could be heard. We’re worried about what’s coming next. We don’t know anything from the government, only what the state television says,” Marquez told reporters after the Venezuela US strikes.
Venezuela US strikes, opposition stance and political backdrop
The Venezuelan opposition, led by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Corina Machado, said in a statement on X that it had no official comment on the Venezuela US strikes or Trump’s claim that Maduro was in U.S. custody. Opposition leaders have long argued that Maduro rigged previous elections and blocked a peaceful democratic transition.
Washington accuses Maduro of heading a “narco-state” and insists the opposition won last year’s vote. Maduro, who took office in 2013 after Hugo Chavez, says the United States is seeking control of Venezuela’s oil reserves, which are considered the largest in the world. The government in Caracas earlier said the goal of the latest attack was U.S. access to oil and minerals.
Venezuela US strikes, U.S. pressure campaign and legal questions
The Venezuela US strikes followed months of increasing pressure from Washington. Trump had warned repeatedly that land operations in the South American oil producer were possible, saying days earlier it would be “smart” for Maduro to leave power. The United States built up forces in the Caribbean, including an aircraft carrier, warships and advanced fighter jets.
As part of the same campaign, the U.S. government expanded sanctions and announced a “blockade” of Venezuelan oil exports. Washington also reported more than two dozen strikes on vessels in the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea, accusing them of transporting drugs from South America. Many countries criticised those actions as extrajudicial killings.
Trump said last week that U.S. forces had attacked an area in Venezuela where drug boats were loaded, the first publicly known land operation there under the pressure strategy. Trump has claimed Venezuelan networks are flooding the United States with narcotics, while Maduro’s administration consistently denies any role in drug trafficking or collaboration with cartels.
Legal specialists have questioned the international law basis for earlier hits on suspected drug ships, which have left more than 110 people dead, and similar concerns are likely over the broader Venezuela US strikes. It remained unclear on January 3 under which domestic or international authority Trump authorised the latest operations or the reported detention of Maduro.
The situation in Venezuela stayed fluid after the Venezuela US strikes, with no official confirmation from Caracas on Maduro’s whereabouts and limited information from Washington beyond Trump’s online statement. Business communities and governments are watching for the Mar-a-Lago briefing and further verified details, as the events could reshape regional security, energy markets and diplomatic ties.
