CARACAS – Early Saturday morning witnessed a large-scale military intervention by the United States in Venezuela, culminating in the capture and extraction of the nation’s president, Nicolás Maduro. This event came after several months of mounting pressure from Washington aimed at Maduro’s regime.
The strike began with multiple detonations and the sound of low-altitude aircraft circling over Caracas, the Venezuelan capital. Within moments, Maduro's government accused the United States of directly assaulting civilian and military installations, branding the act an "imperialist attack" and urging citizens to take to the streets in response.
In the immediate aftermath, the leadership status of Venezuela remained unclear, as did Maduro's whereabouts. However, shortly after 4:30 a.m. Eastern Time, former U.S. President Donald Trump released a statement on Truth Social confirming the operation.
According to Trump, “Alongside his spouse, Nicolás Maduro has been captured and transported out of the nation.” He stated that the mission was executed in coordination with U.S. security forces and promised further information in the near future. Trump indicated plans to hold a press briefing later on Saturday morning.
At least seven explosions shook Caracas in the initial hours of January 3, 2026, prompting residents to flee outdoors and share their experiences on various social media platforms. At this time, there has been no official confirmation regarding casualties resulting from the strikes. The assault lasted under 30 minutes; nevertheless, it remains uncertain whether subsequent operations will follow, although Trump’s announcement framed the mission as successful.
Prior to these events, the Federal Aviation Administration had imposed a temporary ban on U.S. commercial flights traversing Venezuelan airspace, citing ongoing military activity.
The operation follows escalating actions by the White House against Maduro’s administration, which U.S. authorities have accused of involvement in narcoterrorism. The CIA reportedly conducted a previous drone strike the week before targeting a Venezuelan dock believed to be utilized by drug cartels, marking the first direct action within Venezuelan territory since Washington initiated its campaign in the preceding September.
For many months, Trump had threatened imminent strikes on Venezuelan targets, concurrently sanctioning vessels accused of drug trafficking. Maduro had previously condemned these maneuvers as covert attempts to unseat his government.