In a dramatic and unprecedented pre-dawn military operation, United States forces have captured and deposed the president of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, alongside his wife, Cilia Flores. The surprise attack on the South American nation's capital, Caracas, on Saturday, 3 January 2026, has sent shockwaves across the globe, sparking both celebration and fierce defiance.
The Operation: A Swift and Decisive Strike
The mission, which had been months in the planning, unfolded with startling speed. Residents of Caracas first reported hearing loud explosions and aircraft noise around 2am local time. US military strikes targeted key locations, including the Fuerte Tiuna military complex, Venezuela's largest, which was seen engulfed in fire. The operation, involving assets such as US Air Force F-35 Lightning II fighter jets launched from Puerto Rico, was over in approximately two and a half hours.
Former US President Donald Trump, who was monitoring the operation from his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida alongside officials including CIA director John Ratcliffe and secretary of state Marco Rubio, later claimed the US was now 'in charge' of Venezuela and its vast oil supplies. He subsequently posted a photograph on Truth Social purportedly showing a captured Maduro on board the USS Iwo Jima.
Immediate Aftermath and Global Response
The capture of Maduro has led to a deeply fractured international and domestic response. In the United States, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio briefed congressional leaders on the military action. Maduro and his wife now face federal charges in New York related to drug trafficking and associations with designated terrorist organisations, and are being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, where protests for and against the action have taken place.
Within Venezuela, interim president Delcy Rodriguez has assumed leadership, insisting that no foreign power governs the country despite Trump's claims. The political vacuum and military action have triggered a humanitarian and refugee crisis, with thousands of Venezuelans fleeing across the border into Colombia, prompting the Colombian government to reinforce the frontier with soldiers.
Globally, reactions have split sharply. Celebrations erupted among Venezuelan diaspora communities in cities like Miami and Santiago, Chile. Conversely, staunch allies like Cuba held mass rallies in solidarity with Venezuela, while protests condemning US intervention and burning US flags were seen in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The action has also drawn criticism at home, with signs opposing the intervention appearing in Washington DC.
Human Cost and Uncertain Future
The military strikes have not been without civilian cost. Residential areas, including an apartment complex in Catia La Mar and the Port of La Guaira, sustained damage. Tragically, casualties have been reported, such as the funeral of Rosa Elena Gonzalez, who died from injuries sustained during the attacks on the outskirts of Caracas.
The future of Venezuela remains highly uncertain. While the US administration asserts its newfound influence, it must contend with the interim government in Caracas and a population divided between supporters of Maduro—who have taken to the streets demanding his return—and those who welcome his ouster. The event marks a seismic shift in hemispheric relations and sets a controversial precedent for international intervention.
