On January 3, 2026, the
carried out a major military operation in
, but there is no evidence or official indication that
is a target for similar action.
– ‘They’re bombing’ –
Francis Pena, a 29-year-old communications professional living in eastern Caracas, told AFP that he was sleeping and his girlfriend woke him and said “they’re bombing.”
“I can’t see the explosions, but I hear the planes. We’re starting to prepare a bag with the most important things at home — passport, cards, cash, candles, a change of clothes, canned food,” Pena said.
Trump, who deployed an aircraft carrier and warships to the Caribbean as part of what he initially presented as an anti-drug smuggling campaign, had repeatedly threatened strikes on Venezuelan soil.
On Monday, he said it would be “smart” for Maduro, whose re-election in 2024 was widely dismissed by the international community as fraudulent, to step down.
He also said the United States had hit and destroyed a docking area for alleged Venezuelan drug boats.
Maduro had said Thursday he was open to cooperation with Washington.
The Trump administration has accused Maduro of heading a drug cartel, but the Venezuelan leader denied any involvement in the narcotics trade, saying Washington was seeking to overthrow him because Venezuela has the largest known reserves of oil on Earth.
In an apparent bid to force him out, Washington in recent weeks informally closed Venezuela’s airspace in recent weeks, imposed more sanctions and ordered the seizure of tankers loaded with Venezuelan oil.
US forces have also carried out numerous strikes on boats in both the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean since September, targeting what Washington says are drug smugglers.
The strikes have killed at least 107 people, according to the US military.
- Capture of Maduro: President Donald Trump announced that U.S. forces successfully captured President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, during a “large-scale strike” and flew them out of Venezuela.
- The Strike: Several explosions occurred in Caracas and surrounding states starting around 2:00 AM. U.S. officials stated the operation involved elite special forces, such as Delta Force.
- Justification: The U.S. cited longstanding criminal indictments against Maduro for narco-terrorism and drug trafficking as the primary basis for the arrest. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that Maduro will stand trial in the United States and that he anticipates “no further action” in Venezuela now that Maduro is in custody.
- Visa Restrictions: As of January 1, 2026, the U.S. has partially suspended visa issuance for Nigerian nationals under Presidential Proclamation 10998. This applies primarily to new visitor and student visas due to concerns over screening, vetting, and the presence of radical groups like Boko Haram.
- Security Cooperation: In late 2025, a high-level Nigerian delegation met with U.S. officials to strengthen security partnerships, specifically focusing on civilian protection and counter-terrorism efforts.
- Key Differences: Unlike the situation in Venezuela, the U.S. maintains an active diplomatic mission and formal security cooperation with the Nigerian government. Venezuela had no formal diplomatic relations with the U.S. since 2019, and Maduro was under active U.S. criminal indictment.
