Live updates: U.S. attacks Venezuela, captures Maduro

The United States carried out a large-scale strike against Venezuela’s socialist regime early Saturday morning, bombing several military and key government installations and capturing strongman Nicolás Maduro, who was flown out of the country along with his wife, President Donald Trump announced on social media.

Reports from Venezuela say at least 17 aircraft crossed the skies of Caracas among the many explosions, which appeared to target the airport of La Carlota, the 23 de Enero neighborhood, the Fuerte Tina military headquarters and the area of Higuerote.

There were also reports of power outages in some areas. Videos filmed by Caracas residents showed parts of the city in the dark and the shadows of what appeared to be helicopters and airplanes firing at targets on the ground.

Here are live updates:

Venezuelans in Caracas shocked by U.S. attack

Around 2 a.m. Venezuelans began sharing videos on social media of helicopters and aircraft flying over Caracas at low altitude. Other videos showed tall columns of fire and smoke rising through the darkness.

According to people in Caracas and nearby towns, deafening explosions began to be heard in the Venezuelan capital and around the headquarters of the Nicolas Maduro government.

“I was awakened by the bombs. I felt the windows rumbling and the house was shaking,” said a resident of San Antonio de Los Altos, a town located on the outskirts of Caracas. “I still hear the airplanes flying over the skies”, she added around 3 a.m.

Read the full story: ‘We turned off the lights and hid’: Venezuelans shocked by U.S. attacks in Caracas

Trump says Maduro captured, flown out of Venezuela after U.S. strikes shake Caracas

Early Saturday the United States allegedly launched coordinated strikes on military and government targets in the capital city Caracas and several Venezuelan states, with President Donald Trump claiming on social media that strongman Nicolás Maduro and his wife were captured and flown out of the country. The move follows a U.S. pressure campaign on a regime Washington considers illegitimate and tied to drug trafficking.

Residents across Caracas described loud explosions, low-flying aircraft, fires near key military bases, and widespread fear amid limited verifiable information. Maduro later appeared on state media denouncing the attacks as a grave U.S. military aggression, declaring a nationwide state of emergency, mobilizing security forces, and appealing to international bodies for condemnation, while neighboring Colombia and other regional actors urged de-escalation and warned of risks to regional stability against the backdrop of long-simmering U.S.-Venezuela tensions.

Read the full story: Trump says Maduro captured, flown out of Venezuela after U.S. strikes shake Caracas

This story was originally published January 3, 2026 at 5:57 AM.