In the early hours of Saturday 3rd January 2026, the U.S. military carried out a high-intensity operation in Venezuela that involved air strikes targeting military and civilian sites in at least four states, namely Caracas, Miranda, Aragua and La Guaira.

It has been reported that the operation involved more than 150 aircraft launched from 20 bases around the Western Hemisphere, including F-35 and F-22 fighter jets, and B-1 bombers.

During the military operation, President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were abducted by a U.S. special operations squad called Delta Force from a heavily fortified compound in the capital and subsequently flown to New York city where they are being held in custody. They have been indicted on a number of alleged charges including “narco-terrorism” conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy and possession of machine guns.  Continue reading U.S. military forcibly removes President Nicolás Maduro from Venezuela →