The United States carried out military strikes on Venezuela early Saturday in a dramatic escalation of tensions, with President Donald Trump claiming the operation resulted in the arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro — a claim the Venezuelan government has not confirmed.
Explosions were reported in and around Caracas overnight, with Venezuelan officials saying U.S. forces targeted military and civilian infrastructure. The Trump administration described the action as a limited operation tied to long-standing U.S. criminal charges against Maduro, whom Washington has accused of drug trafficking and narco-terrorism.
In a series of posts and statements, Trump and administration officials said U.S. personnel had captured Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, and removed them from the country to face prosecution in the United States. Allies framed the strikes as a law-enforcement action rather than an act of war. Attorney General Pam Bondi said on social media that the Department of Justice upped the standing charges for Maduro to include his wife, from its original indictment in 2020, which focused on him and other state officials.
Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, have been indicted in the Southern District of New York. Nicolas Maduro has been charged with Narco-Terrorism Conspiracy, Cocaine Importation Conspiracy, Possession of Machineguns and Destructive Devices, and Conspiracy to Possess…
— Attorney General Pamela Bondi (@AGPamBondi) January 3, 2026
Venezuela’s government swiftly rejected the U.S.’s account of the attack and demanded proof of life for Maduro and Flores and accused the United States of carrying out an unlawful military attack aimed at destabilizing the country. Venezuelan defense officials condemned the strikes as unjustified aggression and said the U.S. had targeted both civilian and military facilities.
The strikes mark the most significant U.S. military action in Venezuela in decades and raised concerns across Latin America and beyond about sovereignty, international law and the potential for wider regional fallout.
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Details about the scope of the operation, casualties and the current status of Venezuela’s leadership remain unclear. U.S. officials have not released independent evidence confirming Maduro’s arrest, while Venezuelan state media has continued broadcasting statements from senior government figures.
The operation comes amid renewed pressure from the Trump administration on governments it accuses of enabling drug trafficking and organized crime, and it has already prompted calls for emergency diplomatic action at the United Nations.
As of Saturday morning, the situation remained fluid, with competing claims from Washington and Caracas and growing international scrutiny of the legality and consequences of the U.S. action. A press conference from Mar-a-Lago is set for later on Saturday.
