Jump to content

2026 United States strikes in Venezuela

From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Operation Absolute Resolve
Photograph of Maduro standing blindfold, wearing earmuffs, and holding a plastic bottle of water
Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro aboard USS Iwo Jima following his capture
LocationCaracas, Venezuela
Planned byU.S Department of Defence
Commanded byUnited States Donald Trump
TargetVenezuela Nicolás Maduro
Date3 January 2026
02:00 a.m. – 04:30 a.m. (UTC−04:00)
Executed by
Outcome
Casualties
  • 40 Venezuelan soldiers
  • 2 civilians [1]

On 3 January 2026, the United States conducted Operation Absolute Resolve on Venezuela by attacking anti-aircraft sites and capturing Venezuelan president Nicólas Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores. Maduro and his wife are transported to New York City for the narcoterrorism trials awaiting them.[2] . Kahn, Carrie (3 January 2026). "Trump claims U.S. strikes, Maduro captured as explosions hit Caracas". NPR Illinois. Retrieved 3 January 2026.</ref>

Nicólas Maduro had been criticized for leading a authoritatian rule in venezuela since 2013.Maduro had been vice president on former president Hugo Chávez. Maduro's rule had face sanctions from western countries, especially from the United States.Many Western nations consider Maduro's government as illegial due to the rigged election on 2018. Due to western sanctions, venezuela faced severe economic crisis leading millions of Vnezuelans migrated to neighbouring countries.

Venezuela holds world's largest crude oil reserve making upto 17% of global oil. American president Donald Trump shown interest taking back oil from maduro, who nationalize the oil reserves.

On March 2020 the U.S Department of Justice indicted Maduro of supporting narcoterrorism on the U.S. which Maduro denies. The U.S. claims maduro had been supporting the drug cartels in Venezuela to trafficking drugs into America. The U.S declared reward prize of $50 million U.S dollars, for arresting Maduro.

On August 2025 the U.S. Navy was depolyed on Southern Caribbean. On September onwards, the U.S launches Operation Southern Spear setting up a blockade and striking on alleged boats of traffiking drugs to the U.S. This operation continues until 3 January 2026. The Human Rights Watchdog, the United Nations had condemed this attacks. U.S President Trump declares two Venezuelan drug cartels(Tren de Arague, Cartels of the Suns)as Foreign Terrorist Organizations on 2025.

Capture of Maduro

[change | change source]

At 5:21 a.m. VET, Donald Trump said in a post on Truth Social that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores had been captured and flown out of the country.[3][4]

Trump later posted a photo on his Truth Social account of Maduro on board USS Iwo Jima.[5] The photograph showed Maduro wearing a blindfold, headphones, a flotation device, and a gray sweatsuit, holding a plastic water bottle.[6] (See picture in the infobox, of this article)

Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez said that both Maduro and his wife are missing and asked for "proof of life".[7] The legality of the attack has been questioned by some officials in the United States and other countries.[8]

Maduro and Flores were flown to New York City by US forces.[9][10]

The invasion force stayed in Venezuela, for about 2 hours and 20 minutes. Later that day, that force left Venezuela.

Criminal trial

[change | change source]

US Attorney General Pam Bondi said they would both face charges of narcoterrorism.[11]

Maduro was in a Manhattan federal court on 5 January 2026.[12] His plea there, is that he is, not guilty.[13] The court is supposed to meet again on March 17, according to the judge, Gary R. Brown.[14] Maduro and Flores are detained at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York City.[15][16]

As of 2026, his criminal charges can give up to 40 years in prison, if Maduro gets convicted.[17] Maduro is not a prisoner-of-war, according to U.S. authorities. Media is saying that "legal experts [... are saying that] it would be a stretch for ... Maduro to receive prisoner-of-war status".[18] Maduro has said in court, that he is a prisoner-of-war. Maduro has been compared to Manuel Noriega, former Nicaraguan dictator, who lost his POW status in 2010, and was kicked out of a U.S. prison, into a French prison.[19]

Reactions

[change | change source]
Venezuelan diaspora in Brazil celebrating the capture of Venezuelan President Nicólas Maduro

Reactions around the world included protests and celebrations by the Venezuelan diaspora.[20] International law experts, officials in the UN, the US, and other countries said the strikes broke the UN Charter and Venezuela's sovereignty.[21][22][23] U.S. President Trump said that the United States would run Venezuela until there was a transition of power.[24][25]

Media have written about two previous (sets of clothing, or) outfits, that Maduro was wearing, after being captured. He wore a gray fleece Nike Tech sweatsuit (while on a U.S. Navy ship).[6] After President Trump released a photo of Maduro being detained while wearing a Nike sweat outfit, the photo quickly became an internet meme.[26] The Nike Tech sweatsuit Maduro wore in the photo quickly sold out on Nike's websites after the arrest.[27]

Deaths

[change | change source]

The New York Times reported on 3 January that an anonymous Venezuelan official said at least 40 people, including civilians and military personnel, were killed in the attack.[28] On 4 January, the Times reported that, "according to a senior Venezuelan official", 80 civilians and members of security forces had been killed. The same day, Reuters found that no official numbers were publicly released yet.[29]

References

[change | change source]
  1. ↑ Mancini, Ryan (3 January 2026). "What to know about the 'large scale' US strike on Venezuela". The Hill. Retrieved 3 January 2026.
  2. ↑ "U.S. launches military strikes on Venezuela as Trump escalates pressure on Maduro regime, sources say". CBS News. 3 January 2026. Retrieved 3 January 2026.<ref> "US accused of 'military aggression' after explosions heard in Venezuela". The Independent. 3 January 2026. Retrieved 3 January 2026.;<ref> "Trump Administration makes an example of Maduro, will 'run' Venezuela for now". World Tribune. 3 January 2026. Retrieved 3 January 2026. U.S. special forces team arrived at Maduro's compound at 2:01 local time in Caracas...were onboard U.S. aircraft over the water at 3:29 a.m. (ET) and transported to the USS Iwo Jima
  3. ↑ "Trump says Venezuela's Maduro captured after strikes". Reuters.
  4. ↑ "U.S. launches military strikes on Venezuela, Trump says Maduro captured and flown out of the country". Washington D.C.: CBS News. 3 January 2026.
  5. ↑ Walker, Josephine; Floyd, Lauren (3 January 2026). "Trump shares photo of Maduro after capture". Axios.
  6. 1 2 Keller, Erin; Woodward, Alex (3 January 2026). "Trump posts photo of handcuffed Maduro after Venezuelan president's capture". The Independent. Retrieved 4 January 2026.
  7. ↑ "Venezuela latest: Trump says US has 'captured' President Maduro in strikes on country - latest". BBC News. 3 January 2026. Retrieved 3 January 2026.
  8. ↑ "Live Updates: U.S. Captures Venezuelan Leader, Trump Says". The New York Times. 3 January 2026. Retrieved 3 January 2026.
  9. ↑ "How the US attack on Venezuela, abduction of Maduro unfolded". Al Jazeera. Archived from the original on 4 January 2026. Retrieved 4 January 2026.
  10. ↑ Hubbard, Kaia; Suarez Sang, Lucia I. (3 January 2026). "Maduro and his wife arrive in New York to face narco-terrorism charges". CBS News. Archived from the original on 4 January 2026. Retrieved 4 January 2026.
  11. ↑ Bergengruen, Vera (3 January 2026). "Maduro Faces Federal Drug-Trafficking Charges in U.S." The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 3 January 2026.
  12. ↑ Soriano, Ashley N. (4 January 2025). "Nicolás Maduro's first court date set". News Nation. Retrieved 4 January 2025.
  13. ↑ "Venezuela's Maduro tells US court 'I am still president' as he pleads not guilty to drugs charges". BBC. 5 January 2025. Retrieved 5 January 2025.[permanent dead link]
  14. ↑ Nguyen, Thao; Cann, Christopher; Jansen, Bart; Palmer, Kathryn (5 January 2026). "'Not guilty' plea for deposed Venezuelan leader Maduro: live updates". USA Today. Retrieved 5 January 2026.
  15. ↑ O'Connell, Oliver; Buschschlüter, Vanessa (3 January 2026). "Maduro to be taken to Brooklyn detention centre". BBC News. Archived from the original on 4 January 2026. Retrieved 3 January 2026.
  16. ↑ ""Ifølge dommeren er det satt opp et nytt rettsmøte 17. mars."" (in Norwegian). Nettavisen. 5 January 2025. Retrieved 5 January 2025.[permanent dead link]
  17. ↑ https://www.vg.no/nyheter/i/5p0a5m/maduro-tiltalt-i-usa-saken-kommer-til-aa-versere-i-aarevis. Retrieved 2026-01-07
  18. ↑ https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/06/us/politics/maduro-prisoner-of-war-noriega.html. Retrieved 2026-01-06
  19. ↑ https://newsroompanama.com/2010/04/28/noriega-no-longer-a-p-o-w-moved-to-french-prison-cell/. Retrieved 2026-01-07
  20. ↑ Blake, Aaron (3 January 2026). "Analysis: Trump attacked Venezuela and arrested its president. Is that legal?". CNN. Retrieved 4 January 2026.
  21. ↑ Jacobs, Jennifer; Walsh, Joe; LaPorta, James; Reals, Tucker (3 January 2026). "U.S. Launches military strikes on Venezuela, Trump says Maduro captured and flown out of the country". CBS News. Retrieved 4 January 2026.
  22. ↑ "Live Updates: U.S. Captures Venezuelan Leader, Trump Says". The New York Times. 3 January 2026. Retrieved 3 January 2026.
  23. ↑ McKelvie, Geraldine (3 January 2026). "Is there any legal justification for the US attack on Venezuela?". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 4 January 2026.
  24. ↑ Peniston, Bradley; Tucker, Patrick (3 January 2026). "The US will 'run' Venezuela for now, Trump says after armed assault on capital". Defense One. Retrieved 3 January 2026.
  25. ↑ Chapuis, Nicolas (4 January 2026). "With Maduro abduction, Trump flexes muscles and sends world a message". Le Monde. Retrieved 4 January 2026.
  26. ↑ "Nicolás Maduro's outfit goes viral after picture following capture". MSN. 5 January 2025. Retrieved 5 January 2025.
  27. ↑ "Maduro's Nike tracksuit sold out hours after his handcuffed pics go viral". MSN. 5 January 2025. Retrieved 5 January 2025.
  28. ↑ "Venezuelan Official Says at Least 40 People Were Killed in U.S. Attack". The New York Times. 3 January 2026.
  29. ↑ "Venezuelan houses destroyed in US attack; no official figures on deaths". Reuters. 4 December 2026.


Retrieved from "https://simple.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=2026_United_States_strikes_in_Venezuela&oldid=10749932"