The North American government did not provide details about the operation; Venezuelan president denounced military aggression
The President of the United States, (Republican Party), claimed to have carried out an attack “long scale” against Venezuela this Saturday (January 3, 2026). On the Truth Social platform, he claimed to have captured the Venezuelan president, (PSUV, left) and his wife.
According to Trump, they were taken out of the country. The US government did not provide further details about the operation. He will make a statement to journalists this Saturday (January 3), at 1 pm (Brasília time).
“The United States of America successfully carried out a large-scale attack against Venezuela and its leader, President Nicolás Maduro, who was, together with his wife, captured and removed from the country by air. This operation was carried out in conjunction with US security forces. More details will be released soon. There will be a press conference today at 11am in Mar-a-Lago. Thank you for your attention to this matter”, Trump wrote.
Hours before Trump’s confirmation, the Venezuelan government had accused the United States of carrying out military attacks in the capital, Caracas, and other parts of the country. The accusations came after large explosions were reported at a military base in the country’s capital. The Venezuelan government declared a state of emergency, according to a statement issued by the Venezuelan Ministry of Communications.
Explosions, aircraft and black smoke were seen in Caracas at around 2 am local time (3 am Brasília time) for approximately 90 minutes, according to witnesses interviewed by the Reuters and by images circulating on social media. A blackout affected the southern area of the city, close to an important military base.
The official statement states that the government “rejects, repudiates and denounces” American military aggression. The note also calls “all social and political forces in the country to activate mobilization plans and repudiate this imperialist attack”.
The explosions came after months of threats, warnings and accusations of drug trafficking made by President Trump and the US government against Maduro. The US State Department has classified the Venezuelan leader as head of a state “narcoterrorist”.
Senior Trump administration officials have been pushing for Maduro to step down from power. US authorities consider the Venezuelan president an illegitimate leader and accuse him of controlling criminal groups linked to drug trafficking, allegations he denies.
In a statement, the Venezuelan government stated that “this act constitutes a flagrant violation of the Charter of the United Nations, especially its articles 1 and 2, which enshrine respect for sovereignty, the legal equality of States and the prohibition of the use of force”. Furthermore, he warned that “such aggression threatens international peace and stability, specifically in Latin America and the Caribbean, and puts the lives of millions of people at serious risk”.
Venezuela added that “The objective of this attack is none other than to seize Venezuela’s strategic resources, in particular its oil and minerals, trying to break the Nation’s political independence by force. They will not succeed”. The Venezuelan government also indicated that it will increase “the corresponding complaints before the UN Security Council, the Secretary General of the said organization, CELAC and MNOAL, demanding the condemnation and accountability of the US Government”.
PRESSURE ON VENEZUELA
Since August last year, the Pentagon has concentrated troops, aircraft and warships in the Caribbean region. US military forces attacked several small vessels that US authorities said were transporting drugs, resulting in 115 deaths. Last month, the CIA (Central Intelligence Agency) carried out a drone attack on a Venezuelan port facility.
Tracking data shows that C-17 cargo planes, used primarily to transport troops and military equipment, made at least 16 flights to Puerto Rico from U.S. military bases last month. US Southern Command reported that approximately 15,000 troops are already deployed in the Caribbean, representing one of the largest naval deployments to the region in decades.
US intelligence agencies assess that Maduro is, in reality, in conflict with a group called Tren de Aragua. Analysts indicate that the Cartel de los Soles does not exist as a concrete organization. The term is used to refer to the involvement of high-ranking military officers in drug trafficking, although there is no evidence that Maduro directs these operations.
In recent weeks, the United States has carried out a campaign against tankers transporting Venezuelan oil, affecting the country’s oil industry and compromising the government’s main source of revenue. U.S. authorities seized a sanctioned tanker carrying oil from Venezuela to Asia, intercepted another that was not under sanctions and attempted to board a third that was heading to Venezuela.
Experts on the use of lethal force say attacks on small boats constitute illegal extrajudicial killings. The Trump administration argues that the actions comply with the laws of war, claiming that the United States is involved in an armed conflict with drug cartels.
Read, in full, the statement released on national television by the Venezuelan government:
