In a massive military escalation, the United States launched a series of airstrikes across northern Venezuela, including the capital city of Caracas, in the early hours of Saturday, January 3, 2026.
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Shortly after the strikes, U.S. President Donald Trump claimed that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, had been captured by an elite Delta Force unit and flown out of the country.
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1. The Night of the Strikes (2:00 AM VET)
Witnesses and journalists in Caracas reported a terrifying sequence of events beginning around 2:00 AM local time.
Explosions: At least seven major detonations were heard across the capital, accompanied by the roar of low-flying aircraft.
Targets: Strikes hit critical military and strategic sites, including:
Fuerte Tiuna: Venezuela’s largest military complex.
La Carlota: The primary military airfield in the heart of Caracas.
La Guaira Port: Significant fires were reported at the nation’s primary seaport.
Communication Hubs: Antennas at Cerro El Volcán were targeted, leading to widespread power and signal outages in southern Caracas.
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Power Grid: Large sections of the capital reportedly lost electricity immediately following the blasts.
2. Trump’s Truth Social Announcement
At 5:21 AM VET, President Trump took to Truth Social to announce the success of what he called a “large-scale strike.”
“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. This operation was done in conjunction with U.S. Law Enforcement.”
Trump has scheduled a press conference at Mar-a-Lago for 11:00 AM EST today to provide further details.
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3. Context: “Operation Southern Spear”
The strikes are the culmination of months of “Operation Southern Spear,” a U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) mission officially aimed at dismantling drug-trafficking networks.
Naval Blockade: The USS Gerald R. Ford and the USS Iwo Jima had already been intercepting oil tankers and destroying suspected “drug boats” in the Caribbean.
Ground Threat: Trump had hinted at land strikes for weeks, previously claiming the U.S. destroyed a “docking area” for drug cartels along the shore in late December.
4. Official Reactions
Venezuela: The Venezuelan government denounced the move as “imperialist aggression” and a “flagrant violation of international law.” Defence Minister Vladimir Padrino López called for national mobilization but did not initially address the reports of Maduro’s capture.
Colombia: President Gustavo Petro called for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council, describing the events as “bombing with missiles.”
International: The FAA has issued a NOTAM, prohibiting all U.S. aircraft from entering Venezuelan airspace due to “ongoing military activity.
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