&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "US strikes Venezuela LIVE updates: India issues 1st advisory, asks citizens to 'exercise extreme caution'")
Explosions were heard in Venezuela’s Caracas on early Saturday (Jan 3), following which President Nicolas Maduro declared a state of emergency. The Venezuelan government has described the attack as an “extremely serious military aggression” by the US on its capital. This comes after multiple explosions, accompanied by sounds resembling aircraft flyovers, were heard in Caracas around 2 am.
“Venezuela rejects, repudiates, and denounces before the international community the extremely serious military aggression perpetrated by the current government of the United States of America against Venezuelan territory and people,” Maduro’s government said.
According to reports, at least seven explosions were heard in Caracas, prompting people to run onto the streets. As per a Reuters report, in Southern Caracas, the area near a major military base suffered a blackout.
The attack comes in the wake of threats made by US President Donald Trump, who warned of land strikes against Venezuela in recent weeks. Earlier on Monday (Dec 29), Trump confirmed that Washington had carried out the first land strikes on Venezuela, targeting the “dock area” linked to alleged drug boats. Speaking to reporters in Florida, Trump said the strike caused a “major explosion” at a site he claimed “they load the boats up with drugs”.
While the White House and Pentagon have not confirmed US involvement in the strikes, CBS News and Fox News reported, citing anonymous Trump administration officials, that the US was behind the attack.
On being asked if he has been in contact with Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, Trump said he hasn't spoken to her and added that it would be “very tough” for her to be the leader of Venezuela.
“She doesn’t have the support or the respect within the country. She’s a very nice woman, but she doesn’t have the respect,” he said.
Replying to a question, Trump said he is ‘not thrilled’ with Russian President Vladimir Putin, as he is killing too many people.
“I’m not thrilled with Putin,” Trump said. Asked whether he was mad with his Russian counterpart, Trump replied, “He’s killing too many people.”
He added that he was “not happy” about the number of people killed in the war in Ukraine.
Trump also revealed that he had not discussed anything about Maduro during a call with the Russian president earlier this week.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said at the press conference that the Trump administration contacted members of Congress “immediately” after the operation in Venezuela.
“We called members of Congress immediately,” said Rubio. “This is not the kind of mission that you can do congressional notification on. It was a trigger-based mission in which conditions had to be met night after night.”
Chairman of Joints Chief of Staff Gen. Dan Caine said that the US forces arrived at Maduro’s compound at 1:01 am, and moved with speed and precision. “We arrived at Maduro’s compound at 1:01 a.m.,” he said, before an “apprehension force descended and “moved with speed, precision and discipline.”
Maduro and his wife then “gave up” and were “taken into custody by the Department of Justice,” he said.
“As the night began, our helicopters took off with the extraction force, which included law enforcement officers and began their flight into Venezuela,” Caine told the press.
Forces were protected by “the United States Marines, the United States Navy, the United States Air Force and the Air National Guard,” he said, adding that B1 Stealth bombers were in the sky.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said to the press that the US military raid in Venezuela was “flawlessly executed” as he praised Trump’s leadership and extolled the efforts of military and law enforcement.
Hegseth said Trump is “deadly serious” about stopping the flow of drugs, gangs, and violence.
“Nicolás Maduro had his chance, just like Iran had their chance until they didn’t, and until he didn’t. He effed around, and he found out,” Hegseth said, adding, “Welcome to 2026, and under President Trump, America is back.”
Donald Trump said in the news conference that the US companies will enter Venezuela, spend billions and start “making money for the country.” Trump added that the South American country’s oil business has been a “bust”.
The “partnership” will make the people “rich, independent and safe,” Trump said.
The US is “ready” to stage a second “and much larger” attack on the country if needed, he said.
Donald Trump said that Maduro and his wife will “face the full might of American justice” and stand trial in the US.
“Right now, they’re on a ship, they’ll be heading to, ultimately, New York, and then a decision will be made, I assume, between New York and Miami or Florida, but we have people where the overwhelming evidence of their crimes will be presented in a court of law,” Trump said.
Maduro was indicted earlier today and charged with narco-terrorism and other crimes.
Donald Trump said in his address on Saturday that the US used certain expertise to switch off all the lights of Caracas before the military operation was launched.
“No nation in the world could achieve what America achieved yesterday. It was dark; the lights of Caracas were largely turned off due to a certain expertise that we have,” Trump said, without giving further details. “It was dark, it was deadly.”
“Not a single American service member was killed, and not a single piece of equipment was lost,” he added.
The US is “going to run the country,” Trump said of Venezuela, following the capture of his counterpart in a military action on Saturday.
“We are going to run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition,” he said. “So we don’t want to be involved with having somebody else get in and the same situation that we had for the last long period of years.”
“We’re there now,” he added. “So, we’re going to stay until such time as we’re going to run it essentially until such time as a proper transition can take place.”
Donald Trump said in his address to the nation that overwhelming American military power was used to launch a spectacular assault, one that people have not seen since World War II.
Speaking from his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida, standing alongside Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Trump said, “At my direction, the United States Armed Forces conducted an extraordinary military operation in the capital of Venezuela.”
“Overwhelming American military power, air, land and sea, was used to launch a spectacular assault, and it was an assault people have not seen since World War II,” he added.
President Donald Trump said the United States is now deciding the next steps to be taken in Venezuela’s leadership change after the capture of Nicolás Maduro. Signalling an active US role, Trump told Fox News, “Well, we’re making that decision now. We can’t take a chance of letting somebody else run it and just take over what he left off, so we’re making that decision now. We’ll be involved in it very much.”
On being asked if he would endorse opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner María Corina Machado, Trump said, “Well, we’re going to have to look at it.”
President Donald Trump has revealed that Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife are aboard the USS Iwo Jima and the couple is heading to New York.
“Yes, the Iwo Jima, they’re on a ship,” Trump said in a phone interview with Fox News. “They’ll be heading into New York. The helicopters took them out, and they went by helicopter in a nice flight — I’m sure they loved it. But they’ve, they’ve killed a lot of people, remember that.”
Meanwhile, sources said President Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores were dragged from their bedroom by US forces during the raid that led to their capture. The couple was captured in the middle of the night as they were sleeping, , two sources familiar with the matter said.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is “deeply alarmed” after Washington’s strikes on Venezuela, his spokesman said on Saturday, saying it could “constitute a dangerous precedent.”
The UN chief is “deeply concerned that the rules of international law have not been respected,” spokesman Stephane Dujarric said, adding that Guterres “calls on all actors in Venezuela to engage in inclusive dialogue, in full respect of human rights and the rule of law.”
China said on Saturday that it firmly opposes US military strikes on Venezuela and the capture of its President Nicolas Maduro, calling it a violation of international law. “China is deeply shocked and strongly condemns the US’s blatant use of force against a sovereign state and its action against its president,” Beijing's foreign ministry said.
“Such hegemonic behaviour by the US seriously violates international law, infringes upon Venezuela’s sovereignty, and threatens peace and security in Latin America and the Caribbean. China firmly opposes it,” it added.
President Donald Trump said that he watched the military operation taking place in Venezuela in real time from his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida.
In a live phone call with Fox News, Trump said, “I was able to watch it in real time, and I watched every aspect of it, and I listened to the communication between, you know, where we were in Florida and out in the field in Venezuela.”
“It was amazing to see the professionalism, the quality of leadership, the professionalism,” Trump told Fox News.
He also indicated that the US military suffered no casualties during the operation, saying, “To have a few injuries, but no death on our side, is really amazing.”
US Vice President JD Vance praised Donald Trump and the ‘special operators’ who pulled off a truly impressive operation in Venezuela on Saturday. Vance said in a post on X, “The president offered multiple off ramps, but was very clear throughout this process: the drug trafficking must stop, and the stolen oil must be returned to the United States.”
“Maduro is the newest person to find out that President Trump means what he says. Kudos to our brave special operators who pulled off a truly impressive operation.”
Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has apparently targeted US President Donald Trump without mentioning his name directly, while slamming “that ranting American”.
As unrest continued to intensify in Iran, Khamenei said in a post on X on Saturday, “That ranting American sits there talking about the Iranian nation, spewing a combination of slander and promises. False promises! Deception!”
Earlier, he said, “What’s important is when one realizes an enemy wants to force something on one’s govt. or nation with false claims, they must stand firmly against that enemy,” asserting that “We won’t give in to them.”
“With reliance on God & confidence in the people’s support, we’ll bring the enemy to its knees,” he added.
Venezuela’s attorney general, Tarek William Saab, claimed on Saturday that innocent civilians had been killed in the US strikes earlier in the day. Speaking to Venezolana de Televisión (VTV), Saab reiterated demands for proofs of life of Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores.
“I hold the government of the United States of America directly responsible for any circumstance that may befall our president and leader of the Bolivarian Revolution,” he said.
Former Israeli PM Yair Lapid issued an apparent threat to Tehran after US ‘large-scale’ attacks on Venezueal and the capture of President Nicolas Maduro and his wife by US special forces saying Iran should take note of the events in Venezuela today.
“The regime in Iran should pay close attention to what is happening in Venezuela,” Lapid wrote on X.
Venezuela has requested an urgent UN Security Council meeting following US attacks, its Foreign Minister Yvan Gil announced. "In response to the criminal aggression perpetrated by the US government against our nation, we have requested an urgent meeting of the United Nations Security Council, the body responsible for upholding international law," Gil said on Telegram.
Venezuela's Permanent Representative to UN, Samuel Moncada, wrote to Somali Permanent Representative Abukar Dahir Osman, the Security Council president for January.
Moncada said the US action violates the UN Charter "flagrantly."
The European Union has reiterated that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro lacks legitimacy, with the bloc’s top diplomat Kaja Kallas calling for restraint and respect for international law as the situation in Venezuela after President Donald Trump announced US forces had captured leader Nicolas Maduro in a large-scale assault.
“I have spoken with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and our Ambassador in Caracas. The EU is closely monitoring the situation in Venezuela,” Kallas said on X.
“The EU has repeatedly stated that Mr Maduro lacks legitimacy and has defended a peaceful transition. Under all circumstances, the principles of international law and the U.N. Charter must be respected. We call for restraint,” Kallas added.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio reposted a statement from July about President Nicolás Maduro on Saturday morning. In the original post, Rubio noted that in 2020 Maduro was charged by US prosecutors with narco-terrorism, corruption, drug trafficking and other criminal charges.
He also restated claims that Maduro is the head of the Cartel de los Soles, which the US alleges operates within the Venezuelan armed forces. Rubio has not commented publicly on the strikes.
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro will stand trial on criminal charges in the United States, Senator Mike Lee, R-Utah, said on Saturday after a phone call with Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Rubio “informed me that Nicolás Maduro has been arrested by US personnel to stand trial on criminal charges,” he said, reported NBC News.
Lee added that Rubio had told him he anticipates “no further action in Venezuela” now that Maduro is in US custody.
The US strikes were “deployed to protect and defend those executing the arrest warrant,” he added.
Iran condemned the attacks on Venezuela after Caracas accused the United States of being behind explosions that rocked the capital.
The Iranian foreign ministry said in a statement that it “strongly condemns the American military attack on Venezuela and the flagrant violation of the national sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country”.
Iran’s statement was put out before Donald Trump’s Truth Social post confirming that the US had conducted “a large scale strike” on Venezuela and captured President Maduro and his wife.
Russia also slammed the attacks in Venezuela and said that the US military action is ‘deeply concerning and condemnable.’ The Russian Foreign Ministry said, “We reaffirm our solidarity with the Venezuelan people and our support for its leadership’s policy of defending the country's national interests and sovereignty.”
A top US diplomat said on Saturday that Venezuela was experiencing a “new dawn” after President Donald Trump said US forces had captured leftist leader Nicolas Maduro.
“A new dawn for Venezuela! The tyrant is gone. He will now -- finally -- face justice for his crimes,” Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau wrote on X.
Venezuela has accused the United States of hitting residential areas in a wave of strikes early Saturday and announced a major deployment of military resources.
The "invading" US forces "have desecrated our soil, going so far as to strike, using missiles and rockets fired from their combat helicopters, residential areas populated by civilians," Venezuela's Defence Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez said in a video statement shared on social media.
Russia has slammed the attacks in Venezuela and said that the US military action is ‘deeply concerning and condemnable.’ The Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement, “We reaffirm our solidarity with the Venezuelan people and our support for its leadership’s policy of defending the country's national interests and sovereignty.”
“Venezuela must be guaranteed the right to determine its own destiny without any destructive, military intervention from outside,” it added.
Venezuela’s Vice President Delcy Rodríguez has said that the government does not know the whereabouts of President Maduro or the First Lady, Cilia Flores. She added that the government demanded “immediate proof of life” for both of them.
Dutch politician, Geert Wilders, who heads the far-right Party for Freedom (PVV) in the Netherlands and is known for his right-wing populism, anti-immigration, opposition to Islam, and Euroscepticism, has reposted Donald Trump’s Truth Social post, commenting, “Bang Boom Maduro gone.”
The US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has also confirmed the US military action in Venezuela and has reposted President Donald Trump's Truth Social post.
US President Donald Trump on Saturday (Jan 3) confirmed that the United States carried out “large scale” strikes against Venezuela. He also said that he has “captured” the Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote, “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, captured and flown out of the Country. This operation was done in conjunction with U.S. Law Enforcement. Details to follow. There will be a News Conference today at 11 A.M., at Mar-a-Lago. Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DONALD J. TRUMP’
Iran on Saturday condemned what it described as an American attack on Venezuela, after Caracas accused the United States of being behind explosions that rocked the capital.
The Iranian foreign ministry in a statement said it "strongly condemns the American military attack on Venezuela and the flagrant violation of the national sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country".
Washington has yet to comment on the blasts in Venezuela.
All commercial flights in Venezuela are cancelled, Noticias Telemundo reported.
Special envoy of Chinese President Xi Jinping, Qiu Xiaoqi, visited Caracas and met with Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro hours before the US conducted military strikes.
FAA banned US commercial flights in Venezuelan airspace over “ongoing military activity” ahead of explosions in Caracas.
Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez denounced the US strikes in Venezuela.
“#Cuba denounces and urgently demands the reaction of the international community against the criminal attack by the U.S. on #Venezuela. Our #ZonaDePaz is being brutally assaulted. State terrorism against the brave Venezuelan people and against Our America,” he wrote on X.
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro declared a state of emergency on Saturday (Jan 3) following what his government described as an “extremely serious military aggression” by the US on its capital. Meanwhile, American media reported that the US was conducting military strikes against Venezuela.
Read more here.
Venezula in its first official statement since loud explosions were heard in the capital Caracas, has slammed the current Donald Trump-led Government of the United States of America for perpetrating what it called “extremely serious military aggression”. Slamming the Trump government, it said that the attack is an apparent attack “to seize Venezuela's strategic resources, particularly its oil and minerals, attempting to forcibly break the nation's political independence”.
Read more here.
Massive explosions were seen in Caracas on early Saturday (Jan 3) in what the Venezuelan government described as an “attack” by the US. Visuals showed smoke rising above the Venezuelan capital as loud blasts struck the region around 2 am.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro on Saturday (Jan 3) took to X to alert the world that his nation was under attack. In an alarming post, Petro said, “Right now they are bombing Caracas. Alert to the whole world, they have attacked Venezuela.” He added that the Venezuelan capital was facing “bombing with missiles,” while urging the United Nations (UN) and the Organization of American States (OAS) to “meet immediately.” However, he did not identify who “they” were.
Read more here.
In Venezuela's capital Caracas, loud explosions and sounds resembling aircraft flyovers were heard around 2:00 am (0600 GMT) on Saturday (Jan 3). Reports suggest that at least seven loud explosions shook the Venezuelan capital, prompting people to run onto the streets. As per a Reuters report, in Southern Caracas, the area near a major military base suffered a blackout. This follows repeated threats from US President Donald Trump that America would carry out ground strikes against Venezuela.
Read more here.