The United States launched shocking military strikes inside Venezuela early on January 3, 2026, targeting multiple key sites, including major military facilities. The operation was ordered by Donald Trump, marking a serious escalation in Washington’s confrontation with Nicolás Maduro’s regime, US officials revealed to CBS News.
After months of amassing forces in the Caribbean, US warships, aircraft, and troops struck locations in and around the Venezuelan capital, Caracas. The White House claims the offensive targets drug trafficking networks linked to Maduro’s government.
Explosions shook Caracas as strikes slammed Fuerte Tiuna, Venezuela’s largest military base, the La Carlota airbase, and crucial infrastructure like a signal antenna at El Volcán and La Guaira port on the Caribbean coast. Reports spoke of fires and power outages crippling military sites across the capital and states of Miranda, Aragua, and La Guaira.
The Maduro government blasted the US assaults as “very serious military aggression,” accusing Washington of a blatant regime-change plot. In response, Venezuela declared a state of emergency, dubbed a “state of external disturbance,” boosting presidential powers and ramping up the military’s role.
The regime called on supporters to flood streets in protest against what they branded as an “imperialist attack” and demanded an emergency UN Security Council meeting. Regional leaders reacted fast—Colombia called for international intervention as Caracas burned, while Cuba condemned the strikes as a “criminal attack.”
The surprise military action faced fierce backlash on Capitol Hill. Democratic Senator Ruben Gallego, a Marine Corps veteran, slammed the strikes as “illegal”—calling the Venezuela assault the second unjustified war of his life. Republican Senator Mike Lee questioned the constitutional legality of the attacks without formal Congressional approval or a war declaration.
Attempts by lawmakers to block US military action against Venezuela without Congress’s consent died in both chambers ahead of the strikes.
The airstrikes mark a dramatic escalation after months of US naval raids against suspected drug-smuggling vessels. Since September, Washington has claimed over 30 strikes on boats in the Caribbean and Pacific, killing 110 alleged traffickers. Seizures of sanctioned Venezuelan oil tankers added fuel to the fire.
Trump had warned the crackdown would hit land-based drug routes soon, claiming, “We know where the bad ones live.” Sources say he greenlit the Venezuela strikes days before, timing them for maximum impact.
The Trump White House labels Maduro and his inner circle as narcoterrorists tied to notorious trafficking gangs like Cartel de los Soles and Tren de Aragua, branding them terrorist groups. The Venezuelan government vehemently denies the charges.
Maduro, in power since 2013 and controversially sworn in for a third term last year, insists the US plot aims to topple his regime. Still, he offered to discuss drug trafficking, oil, and migration “wherever and whenever” but warned: Venezuela will fiercely defend its sovereignty.
In the wake of the strikes, the US Federal Aviation Administration banned American commercial flights over Venezuelan airspace, citing safety fears amid ongoing military operations. The ban excludes foreign and military aircraft.
The fallout from these strikes represents the most aggressive US military action against Venezuela in decades. Political divisions in Washington deepen as fears grow over wider regional instability and possible conflict escalation.
Originally published by UKNIP.
