A column of smoke rises during multiple explosions in the early hours of the morning, in Caracas, Venezuela, January 3, 2026 in this screen grab obtained from video obtained by Reuters.
(photo credit: Video Obtained by REUTERS via TJP
The Venezuelan government does not know the whereabouts of President Nicolas Maduro or his wife Cilia Flores, Vice President Delcy Rodriguez said.
Venezuela has reportedly declared a national emergency, on Saturday, after the US carried out strikes across the country, with explosions heard in Venezuela’s capital, Caracas, and the southern part of the city losing power.
In a post on Truth Social, US President Donald Trump stated that the US had “successfully carried out a large-scale strike against Venezuela and its leader, President Nicolas Maduro, who has been, along with his wife, captured and flown out of the country.”
According to The Jerusalem Post, Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez has confirmed that the government has no information on the whereabouts of Maduro and demanded immediate proof of life of both Maduro and his wife.
Citing sources within the Venezuelan opposition, Sky News reported that Maduro’s capture may have been a “negotiated exit.”
Maduro was captured by the US Army’s Delta Force, an elite special forces unit, according to US officials, CBS reported.
Delta Force was the unit responsible for the 2019 mission that killed former Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
In a government statement, Venezuela rejected “military aggression” by the United States government and said the attacks took place in Caracas and Miranda, Aragua, and La Guaira States.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Senator Mike Lee that he anticipated no further action in Venezuela now that Maduro is in custody, Lee said in a post on X.
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The US Embassy in Venezuela advised against travel to the country and urged people to shelter in place.
International leaders respond to attack
Colombian President Gustavo Petro said in a post on X, “right now they are bombing Caracas. Alert to the whole world, they have attacked Venezuela. They are bombing with missiles. The OAS and the UN must meet immediately.”
Cuba’s President Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez denounced “the criminal attack by the US on Venezuela” in a social media post on X, calling it “state terrorism against the brave Venezuelan people.”
Iran, an ally of Venezuela, condemned the attack as “a blatant violation of [Venezuela’s] national sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
The Iranian foreign ministry called on the UN Security Council to “act immediately to halt the unlawful aggression” and hold those responsible accountable.
Venezuelan newspaper El Nacional reported that several helicopters were spotted over Caracas amid the explosions.
US President Donald Trump has repeatedly promised land operations in Venezuela, amid efforts to pressure President Nicolas Maduro to leave office, including expanded sanctions, a ramped-up US military presence in the region, and more than two dozen strikes on vessels allegedly involved in trafficking drugs in the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea.
Petro had noted on Friday that a missile strike hit the region of Alta Guiara, El Nacional reported.
Trump commented on the strike, which allegedly targeted a port link with drug smuggling operations, saying “Maduro’s days were numbered.”
Venezuelan security forces patrolled largely empty streets while streets close to the Miraflores presidential palace were deserted except for checkpoints manned by uniformed gunmen, as residents expressed their shock at the US military strike that left them guessing who was now in charge of the oil-rich nation.
Most residents stayed home, devouring the latest information on their phones, while some went to stock up on groceries in case they need to hunker down for a prolonged period.
For supporters of the opposition, led by Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Corina Machado, excitement was also in the air.
“My sister, who is in the United States, woke me up with the news; she was crying. We cried together out of happiness,” said Jairo Chacin, 39, a mechanic and workshop owner in oil hub Maracaibo, as he waited in a long line to stock up on groceries.
This is a developing story. – TJP
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