New Delhi | January 3, 2026, 15:35 PM IST
President Donald Trump has ordered the first known major US military strikes inside Venezuela, targeting key military installations in Caracas and surrounding areas early Saturday morning.
Multiple explosions rocked the capital, with fires reported at Fuerte Tiuna, the country’s largest military complex and La Carlota Air Base, as part of a months-long buildup aimed at pressuring Nicolas Maduro’s regime over alleged drug trafficking.
Maduro’s government denounced the attacks as “imperialist aggression” and activated a nationwide state of emergency, mobilizing civilian militias.
Background of US-Venezuela Escalation
The strikes cap a dramatic escalation since September 2025, when US forces began targeting suspected drug-smuggling vessels in the Caribbean and Pacific, conducting over 35 operations that killed at least 115 people.
Trump designated Maduro’s government as a “foreign terrorist organization” tied to narcotrafficking, deploying the USS Gerald R. Ford carrier group, F-35 jets, and around 15,000 troops to the region under Operation Southern Spear.
Recent actions included seizing sanctioned oil tankers and a December strike on a Venezuelan “dock area” for drug loading, tightening economic pressure amid claims of stolen US assets.
Details of Saturday’s Strikes
Witnesses reported at least seven explosions around 2 a.m. local time (1:30 a.m. ET), with low-flying aircraft, helicopters, and power outages across Caracas neighborhoods. Confirmed targets included Fuerte Tiuna (Ministry of Defence headquarters), La Carlota Air Base, El Libertador Air Force Base in Aragua state, and sites in Miranda, La Guaira, and other areas. Videos showed flames engulfing facilities, though casualty figures remain unconfirmed as Venezuela restricted information flow. The FAA banned US flights over Venezuelan airspace, citing safety risks.
Must Read: Global Firepower Index 2025: U.S. Tops List, China and Russia Tie for Second, India Holds Fourth
Maduro’s Response and Mobilization
Venezuela declared a “state of external disturbance,” rejecting the strikes and calling for national defence activation, including the Bolivarian Militia of over 4 million civilians. Maduro, who recently expressed openness to US talks on drugs and migration, accused Washington of seeking regime change to seize oil reserves. Defence Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez ordered full military readiness, echoing earlier threats of “prolonged guerrilla resistance”.
Legal and International Backlash
Critics, including Human Rights Watch and UN experts, labeled the operations “unlawful extrajudicial killings” without congressional authorization or UN Charter compliance, violating sovereignty and international law.
Colombia’s Gustavo Petro demanded a UN emergency meeting after claiming “missiles bombed Caracas,” while Brazil’s Lula urged restraint. Trump’s team frames the actions as counter-narcotics enforcement against “narcoterrorists,” but no evidence of fentanyl links to Venezuela has been provided.
Regional and Strategic Implications
The buildup positions US forces 100 nautical miles offshore, with covert CIA operations reportedly underway, raising fears of broader conflict or regime change.
Analysts warn of risks to migration, oil markets, and hemispheric stability, as South American leaders condemn the “blockade” amid Venezuela’s economic collapse.
Trump has hinted Maduro’s “days are numbered,” tying strikes to demands for asset returns, though the White House has not detailed endgoals.
