U.S. Launches Shock Strikes On Venezuela As Trump Claims Maduro Captured In Overnight Raid

Moscow and Tehran both condemned the strikes, calling for an emergency response from the United Nations Security Council.

United States launched large-scale military strikes on Venezuela Jan. 3, with President Donald Trump announcing that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, had been captured and flown out of the country. Explosions were reported across Caracas and other parts of the nation, marking one of the most dramatic escalations in U.S.-Venezuela relations in decades.

According to U.S. officials, the operation involved elite American forces, including the Army’s Delta Force. The USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier and other U.S. warships had been positioned in the Caribbean amid heightened tensions, CNN reports. In recent weeks, U.S. forces also seized oil tankers off Venezuela’s coast and carried out strikes on vessels and dock facilities the Trump administration says were linked to drug trafficking networks.

Trump confirmed the strikes and the capture of Maduro in a social media post. According to Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) on X, Secretary of State Marco Rubio indicated Maduro would be brought to the United States to face criminal charges related to drug trafficking and alleged ties to criminal organizations. The administration has repeatedly accused Maduro of collaborating with gangs designated as terrorist groups, allegations the Venezuelan leader has consistently denied, CBS News reports.

Inside Venezuela, the situation remained chaotic and unclear. Venezuela Vice President Delcy Rodríguez said the government did not know the whereabouts of Maduro or the first lady and accused the United States of causing deaths among officials, military personnel, and civilians. Journalists on the ground reported multiple explosions in Caracas beginning around 1:50 a.m. local time, with power outages affecting parts of the capital.

The international reaction was swift and negative. Russia called for immediate clarification from Washington and warned that forcibly removing a head of state would represent a serious violation of national sovereignty. Moscow and Tehran both condemned the strikes, describing them as acts of armed aggression and calling for an emergency response from the United Nations Security Council.

The European Union’s top diplomat said the bloc was closely monitoring developments and emphasized the need to respect international law and the UN Charter. Several European governments confirmed they were checking on the safety of their citizens in Venezuela while keeping embassies operational.