The United States launched a “massive strike” in Venezuela on Saturday, with President Donald Trump claiming on Truth Social that President Nicolás Maduro and his wife were captured and taken out of the country during operations against Venezuelan “drug traffickers.”
The strike comes amid increasing pressure from the Trump administration on Maduro, who faces narco-terrorism charges in the United States. Trump has warned for months that he could soon authorize strikes on Venezuelan targets after repeated attacks on ships allegedly carrying drugs. Maduro condemned the U.S. military actions, calling them a thinly veiled attempt to remove him from power.
US-Venezuelan Conflict: What’s Happening in Caracas?
Several explosions were heard and low-flying planes flew over Caracas as Maduro’s government quickly accused the United States of targeting both civilian and military sites. Gunfire was also reported in several areas, including Higuerote and La Guaira, towns near the capital, a Bloomberg report noted. The incidents began around 2 a.m. local time, when residents first heard planes and explosions.
At least seven blasts sent people rushing into the streets, while others took to social media to share what they heard and saw. It was not immediately clear if there were any casualties. The attack appeared to last less than 30 minutes, and it was unclear if further actions were planned, although Trump said in his post that the attacks had been carried out “successfully”.
Smoke rises from explosions in Caracas, Venezuela, Jan. 3, 2026, in this screenshot taken from video obtained by Reuters. (via REUTERS)Read also | Venezuela bombing LIVE: Trump confirms US attacks, says Maduro, wife captured
Armed individuals and uniformed members of the civilian militia took to the streets in a Caracas neighborhood long considered a stronghold of the ruling party, according to the Associated Press. In other parts of the city, however, streets remained largely empty hours after the attack. Power outages continued to occur in some areas, although traffic flowed normally in others.
Video footage from Caracas and an unidentified coastal city verified by the AP showed contrails and smoke filling the sky, with repeated muffled explosions lighting the night. Other footage captured cars moving along the highway while explosions lit up the hills in the background, with unintelligible voices heard in the recordings.
Smoke was also seen rising from a hangar at a military base in Caracas, while other military installations in the capital remained without power.
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María Eugenia Escobar, a 58-year-old resident of La Guaira, told AFP the explosions lifted her from her bed and left her in tears, feeling that a long-feared moment had arrived. Carmen Hidalgo, a 21-year-old office worker, told the AP the ground shook and the experience was terrifying, with explosions and planes overhead. She and two relatives hurried home from a birthday party and described feeling like the very air was hitting them.
Venezuela reacts
Venezuelan authorities called the event an “imperialist attack” and called on citizens to take to the streets, the AP reported.
The Venezuelan government responded to the attack with urgent action. “People to the streets!” he stated, adding: “The Bolívar government calls on all social and political forces in the country to activate mobilization plans and reject this imperialist attack.” Maduro “ordered the implementation of all national defense plans” and declared a “state of external unrest,” according to the statement. This exceptional status is said to give him the power to suspend certain rights and expand the role of the armed forces.
Standoff
Since the beginning of September, the US military has been targeting vessels in the Caribbean Sea and the eastern Pacific Ocean. By Friday, the Trump administration said there had been 35 strikes that had left at least 115 dead.
The actions followed a significant build-up of US forces near South America, including the November arrival of the country’s most advanced aircraft carrier, adding thousands more troops to what is already the largest US military presence in the region in generations.
Trump has defended the boat raids as a necessary measure to curb the flow of drugs into the US, describing the situation as an “armed conflict” with drug cartels.
Venezuela on Friday expressed its willingness to negotiate an agreement with the US to fight drug trafficking. In a pre-recorded interview broadcast on Thursday, Maduro claimed the US was trying to force a change in Venezuela’s government and gain control of its vast oil reserves through its pressure campaign.
