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2026 United States strikes in Venezuela

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"United States invasion of Venezuela" redirects here. For past proposals, see Proposed United States invasion of Venezuela.

Operation Absolute Resolve
Part of the Operation Southern Spear, the crisis in Venezuela and the war on drugs
Photograph of Maduro standing blindfold, wearing earmuffs, and holding a plastic bottle of water
Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro aboard USS Iwo Jima following his capture
Location
Caracas, Venezuela
Planned byUnited States Department of Defense
Commanded byDonald Trump
TargetNicolás Maduro
Date3 January 2026
02:01 – 04:29[1] (UTC−04:00)
Executed by
OutcomeNicolás Maduro and Cilia Flores captured by the US military
Casualties2 US soldiers injured.[5]
At least 40 Venezuelan military personnel and civilians killed[6]

On 3 January 2026, the United States launched an attack on Venezuela which resulted in the capture of sitting president Nicolás Maduro.[7] Codenamed Operation Absolute Resolve, it began when the United States Armed Forces bombed several locations across northern Venezuela, including military installations and the capital city of Caracas, to disable the country’s air defense systems, and involved more than a hundred aircraft. President Maduro subsequently declared a national state of emergency. He and the first lady, Cilia Flores, were later captured by US forces and flown to the USS Iwo Jima. Later that day, United States president Donald Trump stated that the United States would "run" Venezuela until what he described as a "safe, proper and judicious transition" could be achieved.[8]

The strikes began at approximately 2:00 a.m. local time and targeted locations across northern Venezuela, including the capital city of Caracas. According to officials, around 40 people, including both military personnel and civilians, were killed.[6] At the same time, US special forces conducted a helicopter operation to apprehend Maduro, capturing him along with his wife, Cilia Flores. They were flown out of Venezuela aboard USS Iwo Jima and later transported to New York, where US attorney general Pam Bondi said they would both face charges related to narcotics trafficking.[9][10][11]

Officials from the United States and other countries have questioned the legality of the strikes.[12][13][14][6] The Trump administration did not notify Congress of the operation in advance. Many world leaders and several international law experts said that the raid violated the UN Charter and Venezuela's sovereignty, while some other world leaders expressed support for the operation.[15][16]

Trump said the US and American companies will be "very strongly involved" in the Venezuelan oil industry and will be "selling large amounts of oil to other countries".[14][6] Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez said that the country would "never ‌be ​the colony of any nation". The government formerly led by Maduro remains in place.

Background

Trump has expressed interest in controling Venezuela's oil, saying "we're in the oil business, [...] we'll be selling oil".[17] The country has the largest proven oil fields in the world.[18]

In August 2025, the United States began a buildup in the southern Caribbean, deploying warships and military personnel.[19][20] In September, the United States Southern Command began conducting military strikes on vessels in the Caribbean Sea. The US alleges that some of the struck vessels were trafficking drugs on behalf of Venezuela.[21][22][23] By December 2025, enforcement escalated to include seizures of oil tankers carrying sanctioned Venezuelan crude, with the Coast Guard's Deployable Specialized Forces (DSF) conducting the tactical boardings in coordination with Department of Defense assets.[24][25][26] These tanker interdictions formed part of the broader quarantine measures preceding the January 2026 strikes.[26][27]

The actions formed part of Operation Southern Spear, a campaign targeting alleged criminal networks, including those allegedly aligned with the Venezuelan government of Nicolás Maduro.[28] Prior to the strikes, the United States accused Maduro of presiding over a "narco-state" and of electoral fraud in the 2024 Venezuelan presidential election.[29]

Although the National Electoral Council declared Maduro the winner of the 2024 election, results compiled by the opposition claimed to show that its candidate, Edmundo González, had obtained a decisive majority.[30] The Venezuelan government issued an arrest warrant for González, who left the country and was granted asylum in Spain.[31] Maduro remained in office as president until his capture.[32][33]

Trump had previously designated two Venezuelan drug gangs, Tren de Aragua and Cartel de los Soles, as Foreign Terrorist Organisations (FTOs), and alleged that the latter was led by Maduro himself.[30]

In November 2025, the US deployed the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford, and in December began intercepting and seizing oil tankers, imposing a naval quarantine on Venezuela.[34][35] The US also launched covert operations in Venezuela under the directive of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in late December.[36] Donald Trump had previously announced that the US military would conduct strikes inside Venezuela.[37]

In the weeks preceding the attack and after having commenced operations targeting vessels mostly out of Venezuela, an agreement was signed with Venezuela's island neighbour, Trinidad and Tobago, to allow access to its airports for the US military.[38]

The US military spent months planning and rehearsing the operation, General Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters in a 3 Jan press conference. In "early December", the forces were positioned and ready, Caine said.[39]

Attack

President Donald Trump (center) during Operation Absolute Resolve, along with State Secretary Marco Rubio (right) and CIA director John Ratcliffe (left)
Map of the US strikes on Venezuela

Trump gave the order to proceed at 10:46 p.m. EST on 2 January, Caine said.[39][40][41][42] The administration did not notify Congress of the strikes.[43]

At least seven explosions were reported at around 2:00 VET, and low-flying aircraft were seen,[44] predominantly in La Guaira, Higuerote, Meseta de Mamo, Baruta, El Hatillo, Charallave, and Carmen de Uria, which are mostly inside or near the capital city Caracas.[45] The operation involved 150 aircraft[6] from the United States Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps.[2] They included the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor, Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II, McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet, Boeing EA-18G Growler, Grumman E-2 Hawkeye, Rockwell B-1 Lancer, Boeing CH-47 Chinook, Boeing AH-64 Apache, other support aircraft and numerous unmanned aerial vehicles including the Lockheed Martin RQ-170 Sentinel.[46][47] Most of the explosions were targeted at antennas and active military bases.[48] Early reports suggested that the explosions may have occurred at Generalissimo Francisco de Miranda Air Base (La Carlota) and Fort Tiuna, two military installations in the area.[49] Large explosions were also reported at Higuerote Airport.[48][50] Helicopters from the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment carried Delta Force soldiers into Caracas with air cover provided by the fighters and bombers. One helicopter was damaged by Venezuelan ground defenses but continued on its mission.[2]

The strikes lasted half an hour. Smoke was seen rising from one military hangar in a Caracas base, while another was left unpowered.[44] The strikes happened under the cover of darkness as a result of both the time of the operation as well as the US military turning off the lights in the city of Caracas.[51] David Smolansky, a spokesman for Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado, told CBS News that aside from Fort Tiuna and Miranda Airbase, La Guaira port and antennas in Cerro El Volcán were also hit.[12][52] Multiple containers were destroyed and damaged in the La Guaira port strikes.[53] Satellite imagery from Vantor showed at least five destroyed warehouses, burned vehicles and a blown-up security post.[54][55]

Maduro declared a national state of emergency after the explosions began.[11] The government promised to defend against US military actions which sought regime change. It described them as being "imperialist aggression" and called for the United Nations Security Council to be convened.[56]

Capture of Maduro

For the criminal case filed against Maduro, see United States v. Nicolás Maduro.

At 4:21 a.m. EST,[57] Donald Trump posted on Truth Social that Nicolás Maduro and his wife, First Lady Cilia Flores, had been captured and flown out of the country.[58][59][60][57] According to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Maduro was arrested and will face criminal charges in the US.[53] Delcy Rodríguez confirmed that both Maduro and Flores are missing and demanded "proof of life" via an audio message on state television.[10][61] Trump posted a photograph on his Truth Social account of Maduro on board the USS Iwo Jima.[62][63] According to Reuters' sources, Rodríguez was in Russia on 3 January.[64] Later reports indicated that Rodríguez was in Caracas.[6]

According to CBS News, the operation targeting Maduro was undertaken by Delta Force.[3] Venezuelan opposition sources in Venezuela told Sky News that they believed Maduro's capture was a "negotiated exit" with the United States.[65] Hours later, US attorney general Pam Bondi announced that Maduro and Flores had been indicted in the Southern District of New York on charges related to narcoterrorism. The indictment lists the charges as narco-terrorism conspiracy (21 U.S.C. § 960a), cocaine importation conspiracy (21 U.S.C. § 963), possession of machine guns and destructive devices (18 U.S.C. § 921(c)(1)), and conspiracy to possess machine guns and destructive devices (18 U.S.C. §924o).[9][66]

Shortly before 5:00 p.m. EST, the airplane carrying Maduro and Flores landed at Stewart Air National Guard Base in New York.[67] He was seen walking off of the jet, surrounded by federal agents, before going into a hangar. He is expected to be flown by helicopter to a location in New York City where he will be processed then ultimately transported to the Metropolitan Detention Center.[55]

Casualties

Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López said US combat helicopters fired rockets and missiles in urban areas and they are working to gather information on the number of fatalities and injuries.[68] Attorney General of Venezuela Tarek William Saab reported that "innocent victims have been mortally wounded and others killed by this criminal terrorist attack." In Catia La Mar, strikes hit a three-story civilian apartment complex, killing one person, seriously injuring another and destroying the exterior wall.[6][69] An anonymous Venezuelan official said at least 40 people, including civilians and military personnel, were killed in the attack.[6] Trump claimed to the New York Post: "You know, many Cubans lost their lives last night. … They were protecting Maduro. That was not a good move." He said he did not know the exact number.[53] Trump also told an interviewer on Fox News that no American soldiers were killed, but some were injured when their helicopter was hit. Another team of helicopters also faced fire.[6] Some US troops sustained bullet and shrapnel wounds, but none are life-threatening.[53]

Aftermath

Main article: Planned United States control of Venezuela

The government formerly led by Maduro remains in place.[70] Rodríguez described Maduro as Venezuela's "only president" and called for calm and unity to defend the country amid what she called Maduro's "kidnapping" ‍and said that Venezuela would never ‌be ​the colony of any nation."[71]

The US Federal Aviation Administration issued a notice to airmen prohibiting American aircraft from operating within Venezuelan airspace, citing "ongoing military activity".[72][73] The Embassy of the United States in Caracas from Colombia issued a shelter in place order.[74] The southern area of Caracas reportedly lost power.[75]

Republican senator Mike Lee claimed that Secretary of State Marco Rubio "anticipates no further action in Venezuela now that Maduro is in US custody."[76] He also claimed Maduro is expected to go on trial in the US.[76][77]

Trump talks about the attacks on 3 January 2026.

In a press conference on 3 January 2026, Trump stated: "We are going to run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition".[78][79] He indicated that the US may send troops to Venezuela as part of this.[80] He also claimed that Marco Rubio had made contact with Venezuelan vice president Delcy Rodríguez and that she allegedly told Rubio: "We'll do whatever you need" and that she was gracious but "really doesn't have a choice."[81] He said the action was an application of the Monroe Doctrine, which he styled as the "Donroe Doctrine,"[82] and added that "American dominance in the western hemisphere will never be questioned again."[83][84] He also said that US oil companies would "go in, spend billions of dollars, fix the badly broken infrastructure, the oil infrastructure, and start making money for the country," and that the US was prepared to launch a second, much larger attack. He was open to US occupation of Venezuela that "won't cost us a penny"[85] by being reimbursed from Venezuela's oil reserves.[86]

Reactions

Venezuela

Prior to Maduro's capture, the Venezuelan government[who?] stated that it rejected and denounced the military aggression,[56][41] and issued a public statement blaming the government of the United States for strikes, which they attributed to a plan to seize Venezuelan resources, particularly oil reserves.[87] Maduro declared a state of emergency in response to the air strikes,[88] and Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López also stated that the attacks were illegal.[55] He also said that Venezuela would resist foreign troops,[89] and that Venezuela's government had declared a "state of external commotion".[90]

Opposition politician María Corina Machado published a statement from exile saying, "What had to happen is happening" for the opposition to take up the mandate they claim from the 2024 presidential election.[14][91] She also called for Edmundo González, whom the opposition claim had won the 2024 presidential election to assume the presidency. González said the opposition is ready to "rebuild our nation" and that the next few hours were "decisive."[92]

United States

Trump has indicated that the United States plans to occupy and run Venezuela until there is a "safe, proper and judicious transition". Trump said the US and American companies will seize Venezuelan oil and sell it to other countries.[93] Vice President JD Vance said the operation was justified as Maduro was a wanted fugitive in the United States. He also declared that "the stolen oil must be returned".[94] Trump declared the United States will be "very strongly involved" in the Venezuelan oil industry[14] and stated that American oil companies will invest billions of dollars in the energy sector of the country.[95]

Chairwoman Lisa McClain of the House Republican Conference stated, "So, let me put this simply: Maduro is a narco-terrorist. Period. His illegitimate regime floods our country with deadly drugs and Americans pay the price. Trump didn't look the other way; he acted. That's what leadership looks like, and it's how you protect the American people."[96] Democratic senator Brian Schatz, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, warned against any US military involvement in Venezuela, saying that the United States has "no vital national interests in Venezuela to justify war".[53] Republican senator Mike Lee initially said that he looked "forward to learning what, if anything, might constitutionally justify" the strikes, but after a call with Secretary of State Rubio, said, "This action likely falls under the president's inherent authority under Article II of the Constitution to protect US personnel from an actual or imminent attack".[53][97] The legality of the strikes was questioned by Democratic senator Ruben Gallego who said: "This war is illegal" at the start of the operation.[13][98] Democratic senator Tim Kaine condemned the actions and called on Congress support his resolution to block the use of the armed forces against Venezuela unless authorized by Congress."[43] Democratic mayor of New York City Zohran Mamdani said he called Trump earlier that day to express his opposition to the strikes.[93]

International

Main article: International reactions to the 2026 United States strikes in Venezuela

At the request of Colombia, Russia, and China, the United Nations Security Council is to convene on 5 January to discuss the situation.[99]

Analysis

The Guardian writer Simon Tisdall described the United States' operation as "unprovoked", illegal and "not so very different from" Russia's invasion of Ukraine. He also said that it created a precedent that could justify a future invasion of Taiwan by China, which a week prior had been conducting military operations around it.[100] David Rothkopf described Trump's conduct as the "Putinization of US foreign policy."[101]

International affairs analyst Dominic Waghorn wrote that the invasion of Venezuela and abduction of Maduro was an unprecedented event, even accounting for past removals of heads of state by the United States. He described the operation as apparently "at odds with the principles of international law."[102] Julian Borger said that the operation represented a shift away from an international order mostly based on rules to "one of competing spheres of influence, to be determined by armed might".[101]

See also

References

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