Tag: military installations

Venezuela

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.

The announcement came after a series of powerful explosions shook parts of Venezuela’s capital early Saturday, jolting residents awake. According to Venezuelan military officials, U.S. attacks were also launched in the states of Miranda, La Guaira and Aragua.

“The United States of America has successfully carried out a large scale strike against Venezuela and its leader, President Nicolas Maduro, who has been, along with his wife [Cilia Flores] captured and flown out of the Country,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. “This operation was done in conjunction with U.S. Law Enforcement. Details to follow.”

The president announced that further details will be given at a press conference to be held at his residence at Mar-a-Lago, in Palm Beach County, at 11 a.m.

In a brief phone interview with The New York Times, Trump hailed the operation to capture Maduro as a success. “A lot of good planning and a lot of great, great troops and great people,” Trump told the newspaper. “It was a brilliant operation, actually.”

Meanwhile, Republican Sen. Mike Lee reported on Saturday that U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio informed him that Maduro had been arrested by U.S. personnel and is set to face a criminal trial in the United States. Lee added that Rubio also indicated that “he does not anticipate new (military) actions in Venezuela now that Maduro is in custody.”

Lee, sharing details of his conversation with Rubio on X, said the military actions Saturday were carried out solely to “protect and defend those executing the arrest warrant.” He maintained that the action is consistent with the President’s constitutional authority to “protect U.S. personnel from imminent attacks,” even though Congress retains the power to declare war.

Residents across multiple neighborhoods of Caracas had reported hearing loud detonations beginning around 1:30 a.m. local time. Witnesses described the blasts as distinct, spaced minutes apart, and accompanied by the sound of aircraft flying low over the city — a rare and alarming occurrence in a capital long accustomed to political turmoil but not open aerial attack.

The reported strikes and Maduro’s capture come amid Washington’s intensifying pressure campaign against the Caracas regime, which the United States considers illegitimate following disputed elections, years of authoritarian consolidation and accusations that its leadership runs a drug cartel.

Blasts near key military sites

Several residents said the explosions appeared to originate near La Carlota air base and Fuerte Tiuna, the sprawling military complex in eastern Caracas that serves as the nerve center of Venezuela’s armed forces. The locations are among the most strategically sensitive sites in the country.

“Planes keep flying by. The explosions at 2 a.m. were very loud,” said a resident of the El Marquez area in eastern Caracas, who asked not to be named for safety reasons. “I am trying to see what is going on from my window, but mostly, I am staying down on the floor.”

Other witnesses reported seeing aircraft flying at unusually low altitude over parts of the city shortly before and during the explosions. In addition to the blasts, residents across Caracas described hearing sirens and sporadic gunfire in various neighborhoods, adding to the sense of confusion and fear.

Videos shared on social media showed flashes of light illuminating the night sky followed by loud booms echoing through residential areas. The authenticity of the footage and the precise locations where it was recorded could not be immediately confirmed, a common challenge in Venezuela, where misinformation often spreads quickly during crises.

Reports extend beyond Caracas

The unusual overnight activity was not confined to the capital. Residents in parts of La Guaira state, along Venezuela’s central Caribbean coast and home to the country’s main port and international airport, also reported hearing explosions and observing heightened security movements.

Appearing on state television, a Venezuelan military official reported attacks taking place in Caracas and the states of Miranda, La Guaira and Aragua.

Those accounts suggested that multiple strategic areas may have been targeted, though details remained scarce. Venezuela’s tightly controlled information environment and the near absence of independent access to official sites made it impossible to assess the scale of any damage or confirm whether there were casualties.

By early Saturday morning, there had been no immediate reports of injuries or deaths from independent sources. In Venezuela, where independent journalism is heavily restricted and reporters often face intimidation, access to timely and verifiable information is limited even during major national emergencies.

Maduro denounces ‘grave military aggression’

In a lengthy statement broadcast on state television and radio, Maduro accused U.S. forces of carrying out strikes against both civilian and military sites in Caracas as well as in the nearby states of Miranda, Aragua and La Guaira.

He described the action as a “grave military aggression” and a flagrant violation of the United Nations Charter, warning that it threatened peace and stability across Latin America and the Caribbean.

“This is an attack against the sovereignty of Venezuela,” Maduro said, flanked by senior military and government officials. “It is an attempt to impose a colonial war and force political change by violence.”

The government framed the alleged attack as part of a broader U.S. effort to seize Venezuela’s strategic resources, particularly its vast oil and mineral reserves. “They will not succeed,” the statement said, rejecting what it described as a renewed attempt at regime change orchestrated from Washington.

Emergency powers declared

As part of the response, Maduro signed a decree declaring a nationwide state of “external disturbance,” a constitutional mechanism that grants the executive sweeping powers during emergencies, including the ability to limit certain civil liberties and mobilize security forces.

Authorities said the measure was intended to protect the population, guarantee the functioning of state institutions and activate defense operations across the country.

The government ordered the immediate deployment of the Command for the Comprehensive Defense of the Nation, along with regional defense entities in all states and municipalities. Officials said the armed forces were operating in coordination with police units and civilian organizations loyal to the ruling party to maintain security and respond to any further threats.

State television broadcast images of soldiers deploying to strategic infrastructure, checkpoints being reinforced and officials meeting in emergency sessions. Schools and some government offices were closed in several regions as a precaution.

Appeals to international agencies

Venezuela announced it would file formal complaints before the United Nations Security Council, the U.N. secretary-general, the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States and the Non-Aligned Movement, seeking international condemnation of the United States.

Invoking Article 51 of the U.N. Charter, which recognizes the right to self-defense, the government said Venezuela reserves the right to respond to protect its sovereignty and territorial integrity, without specifying what form such a response might take.

The statement also called on governments, political movements and social organizations across Latin America and the Caribbean to mobilize in solidarity with Venezuela, framing the alleged attack as a threat not only to the country but to regional independence.

Regional reaction, Colombian concern

The explosions and Maduro’s accusations triggered immediate concern among neighboring countries, particularly Colombia, which shares a long and porous border with Venezuela and has been deeply affected by years of Venezuelan migration and instability.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro said his government viewed the situation with “deep concern,” citing reports of explosions and unusual aerial activity in Caracas and other parts of Venezuela.

“The government of the Republic of Colombia observes with deep concern the reports of explosions and unusual aerial activity registered in recent hours in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, as well as the consequent escalation of tension in the region,” Petro said in a statement published on his X account.

Earlier, Petro had stated that Caracas was being bombed and urged the Organization of American States and the United Nations to convene immediately to address the situation, though he initially stopped short of naming the United States.

After Maduro publicly blamed Washington, Petro reaffirmed Colombia’s commitment to the principles of the U.N. Charter, including respect for sovereignty, the prohibition of the use or threat of force, and the peaceful settlement of international disputes.

He said Colombia rejects “any unilateral military action that could aggravate the situation or endanger the civilian population,” and called for urgent de-escalation.

“The country adopts a position aimed at preserving regional peace,” Petro said, urging all parties to prioritize dialogue and diplomatic channels over confrontation.

As a precaution, Petro said his government had implemented measures to protect civilians, preserve stability along the Colombian-Venezuelan border and prepare for any potential humanitarian or migratory impact.

High stakes amid long-standing tensions

The reported strikes come amid years of escalating hostility between Washington and Caracas. The U.S. severed diplomatic relations with Venezuela in 2019, imposed sweeping sanctions on its oil industry, and recognized opposition leader Juan Guaidó as interim president, a strategy that ultimately failed to dislodge Maduro from power.

In recent months, the Maduro had seen a widening U.S. campaign of military and law-enforcement pressure his regime as Washington amassed what analysts describe as the largest U.S. military deployment in the Caribbean in decades as part of a sweeping operation targeting Latin American drug cartels — a mission that has become a defining pillar of Trump’s foreign policy.

At the center of the campaign is Venezuela’s so-called Cartel de los Soles, which the U.S. Justice Department claims is led by Maduro and senior members of his inner circle.

In recent weeks, the Pentagon has surged additional air and naval assets into the region, including the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier and several guided-missile destroyers. The expansion coincides with a series of U.S. strikes on boats in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific that officials say were ferrying narcotics for transnational criminal groups.

For ordinary Venezuelans, the night’s events revived memories of past crises and underscored the country’s vulnerability after a decade of economic collapse, mass emigration and political repression.

“We are tired of living in fear,” a resident of eastern Caracas posted on social media. “We don’t know what is true, what will happen next, or how this will end.”

A Miami Herald correspondent in Venezuela contributed to this report. This is a developing story that will be updated.

This story was originally published January 3, 2026 at 1:11 AM.