Venezuela - President Nicolas Maduro & his wife "captured and flown out of country" by U.S. Army Delta Force during "large scale attack" - Jan 3, 2026

[otto]

While the US government is popping champagne corks, the rest of the world is taking the situation seriously.

"Avoid all travel to Venezuela due to the significant level of violent crime, the unstable political and economic situations, the risk of arbitrary detention, and the decline in basic living conditions, including shortages of medication, gasoline and water.

On January 3, 2026, military strikes took place on several sites in Venezuela, including military facilities, in the city of Caracas and the states of Miranda, Aragua and La Guaira.

The current situation in Venezuela is tense and could escalate quickly. Borders and airspace could close at short notice. Several airlines have suspended flights to and from Venezuela, reducing options to leave the country."

Travel advice and advisories for Venezuela

Travel Advice and Advisories from the Government of Canada

travel.gc.ca

 

[waldojabba]

Hard to justify this action.

IMO you either believe in the constitution and rule of law or you don’t.
I don’t see this ending well for the people of Venezuela or for those of us who are Americans.
But as they say, Here we are.

It’s the old two things can be true:
Maduro is a bad guy
America had no legal right to kidnap Maduro and his wife, and bomb

If you want to make it about stopping drugs - it’s still an illegal strike - but explain to me why this administration has pardoned other similar drug kingpins.

“But the stunning military actioncomes at a time when Trump has also freed or pardoned other convicted drug dealers and people accused of ties to drug gangs and cartels - notably the former president of Honduras.”

https://www.npr.org/2026/01/03/nx-s1-5665695/maduro-trump-drug-dealer-pardons

I will pray for our military.

JMO

 

[NuttMegg]

One reason that the EU stepped up to protect Ukraine is because everyone knows that after Russia takes Ukraine, they will advance into bordering countries. No one is safe if Ukraine falls under Russian control.

South America knows this too. If the US seizes control of Venezuela, the US will march through all of South America to seize control of resources, assets, and land

No kidding. Hey, domino theory 2026 but for real this time. First of all pesky Colombia, then the Andean countries still not rw. Bolivia and Ecuador (and Peru) nationalized petroleum, pretty soon he'll meet his pal in Arg who got the big handout from him. I weep for SA.

 

[SouthAussie]

While neither the US nor Venezuelan authorities have pinpointed locations that were struck, Colombia’s Petro, in a social media post, listed a series of places in Venezuela that he said had been hit.

They include:

• La Carlota airbase was disabled and bombed.
• Cuartel de la Montana in Catia was disabled and bombed.
• The Federal Legislative Palace in Caracas was bombed.
• Fuerte Tiuna, Venezuela’s main military complex, was bombed.
• An airport in El Hatillo was attacked.
• F-16 Base No 3 in Barquisimeto was bombed.
• A private airport in Charallave, near Caracas, was bombed and disabled.
• Miraflores, the presidential palace in Caracas, was attacked.
• Large parts of Caracas, including Santa Monica, Fuerte Tiuna, Los Teques, 23 de Enero and the southern areas of the capital, were left without electricity.
• Attacks were reported in central Caracas.
• A military helicopter base in Higuerote was disabled and bombed.

Trump bombs Venezuela, US ‘captures’ Maduro: All that we know

Venezuelan vice president says Maduro's whereabouts unknown after dramatic attacks capping months of tension.

www.aljazeera.com

 

[lonetraveler]

In my personal opinion:
It’s so funny how people can comment on something they know so little about and that is being spun by a certain group.

It’s an EXTREMELY positive thing that happened and actually miraculous that it went down so smoothly.
Praying the transition to the proper democracy that the Venezuelan majority voted for is equally smooth.
Bravo to the US!!!
Finally we are showing bravery in the face of tyranny.
The good, faithful, honest people of Venezuela have BEGGED us for years to help/ to intervene.
Maduro WAS NOT the legitimate president.
He refused to move aside despite fewer votes- by a large margin than Edmundo Gonzalez received. Illegal, unethical and criminal.
He is an evil demonic dictator who (along with Chavez) ruined one of the most elegant countries in the world.
NOW THERE IS HOPE FOR FREEDOM AND A RETURN TO THE LEGITIMATE COUNTRY VENEZUELA WAS BEFORE IT WAS CORRUPTED in the late 1980s.

As someone who has been to Venezuela, is very close to many born in Venezuela and has been watching this story for many years and very closely for months- I CAN VOUCH THAT THIS IS AN ANSWER TO PRAYER FOR THE VAST MAJORITY OF VENEZUELANS.

If anyone is confused about this GLORIOUS GUTSY thing we just did- study it.

Read about Leoplodo Lopez & Edmundo Gonzalez - both exiled in Madrid.
Look at Maria Corina Machado’s Instagram page and scroll back to voting day when the brave people of this country brought the voting receipts to her- atop a truck.
By all means WATCH THE VIDEO OF HER DAUGHTER ACCEPTING THE NOBEL PRIZE ON HER BEHALF- LISTEN TO HER SPEECH - read about her recent journey to Oslo.
Open your heart to the possibility that this move to arrest Maduro was a godsend to the people who need it desperately- to those who have suffered under unspeakable tyranny and have begged for help.

THIS IS THE DAY OF LIBERTY IN VENEZUELA- praise God!!
Long live Venezuela and the proud people of Venezuela.

Nobody educated on this is naive enough to think this is a move against drugs alone.
The country benefited GREATLY in the past and will benefit GREATLY again when the Venezuelan oil industry is run by legitimate oil companies and not corrupt dictators.

Maria Corina’s official statement below:

María Corina Machado on Maduro's Capture: 'The Time Has Come for Sovereignty'

Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado said that “the time has come for sovereignty” following the capture of Nicolás Maduro.

www.breitbart.com

Gloria al Bravo Puebla Venezuela - GLORY TO THE BRAVE PEOPLE

BRAVO!!

 

[SouthAussie]

Unofficial death rate, so far.

Venezuela Live Updates: Maduro Arrives in N.Y.; Trump Says U.S. Will 'Run' Venezuela

Venezuela’s vice president, Delcy Rodríguez, rejected the U.S. intervention and demanded President Nicolás Maduro’s return. Maduro and his wife were being brought to New York City to stand trial on drug and weapons charges.

www.nytimes.com

 

[NuttMegg]

Reuters is Reuters, four sources say she's in Russia. But Russia denies.

Venezuela vice president Rodriguez in Russia, four sources say

Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez is in Russia, four sources familiar with her movements said on Saturday, after President Donald Trump said President Nicolas Maduro had been by U.S. forces after an attack on the country.

www.reuters.com

 

[waldojabba]

https://twitter.com/x/status/2007547654922809388

from the DM article :

BBM

"Many Venezuelans who fled the South American country live on Caribbean islands, including both US Virgin Islands, St. Thomas and St. John.

The atmosphere in Caracas, where the strike took place, was much more muted.

Locals were photographed lining up outside supermarkets amid fears Maduro's ouster will lead to even greater economic uncertainty."

jmo

​

 

[otto]

IMO<mod added per otto>
US propaganda in red. The US government is releasing false information to the US population to ensure that they do not understand the seriousness of the situation.

"There is only one president in Venezuela, and his name is Nicolás Maduro Moros," she said.

Rodriguez's comments come after Trump claimed she had been sworn in as president and had spoken with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in which Trump claimed she said, "We'll do whatever you need."

"She is essentially willing to do what we think is necessary to make Venezuela great again. Very simple," Trump said of Rodriguez, who faced U.S. sanctions for her alleged role in undermining Venezuelan democracy during his first term.
...

However, state television has not broadcast any swearing-in ceremony and Rodríguez did not declare herself acting president or mention a political transition during her televised speech. A ticker at the bottom of the screen identified her as the vice-president, and he gave no sign that she would be co-operating with the U.S.

"What is being done to Venezuela is an atrocity that violates international law," she said."

https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/venezuela-maduro-delcy-rodriguez-9.7032783

 

[SouthAussie]

Sounding as if the US military is going to protect the oil takeover.


Trump said US troops will have a presence in Venezuela “as it pertains to oil.”

https://edition.cnn.com/world/live-news/venezuela-explosions-caracas-intl-hnk-01-03-26?t=1767483851352

 

[Ontario Mom]

In my personal opinion:
It’s so funny how people can comment on something they know so little about and that is being spun by a certain group.

It’s an EXTREMELY positive thing that happened and actually miraculous that it went down so smoothly.
Praying the transition to the proper democracy that the Venezuelan majority voted for is equally smooth.
Bravo to the US!!!
Finally we are showing bravery in the face of tyranny.
The good, faithful, honest people of Venezuela have BEGGED us for years to help/ to intervene.
Maduro WAS NOT the legitimate president.
He refused to move aside despite fewer votes- by a large margin than Edmundo Gonzalez received. Illegal, unethical and criminal.
He is an evil demonic dictator who (along with Chavez) ruined one of the most elegant countries in the world.
NOW THERE IS HOPE FOR FREEDOM AND A RETURN TO THE LEGITIMATE COUNTRY VENEZUELA WAS BEFORE IT WAS CORRUPTED in the late 1980s.

As someone who has been to Venezuela, is very close to many born in Venezuela and has been watching this story for many years and very closely for months- I CAN VOUCH THAT THIS IS AN ANSWER TO PRAYER FOR THE VAST MAJORITY OF VENEZUELANS.

If anyone is confused about this GLORIOUS GUTSY thing we just did- study it.

Read about Leoplodo Lopez & Edmundo Gonzalez - both exiled in Madrid.
Look at Maria Corina Machado’s Instagram page and scroll back to voting day when the brave people of this country brought the voting receipts to her- atop a truck.
By all means WATCH THE VIDEO OF HER DAUGHTER ACCEPTING THE NOBEL PRIZE ON HER BEHALF- LISTEN TO HER SPEECH - read about her recent journey to Oslo.
Open your heart to the possibility that this move to arrest Maduro was a godsend to the people who need it desperately- to those who have suffered under unspeakable tyranny and have begged for help.

THIS IS THE DAY OF LIBERTY IN VENEZUELA- praise God!!
Long live Venezuela and the proud people of Venezuela.

Nobody educated on this is naive enough to think this is a move against drugs alone.
The country benefited GREATLY in the past and will benefit GREATLY again when the Venezuelan oil industry is run by legitimate oil companies and not corrupt dictators.

Maria Corina’s official statement below:

María Corina Machado on Maduro's Capture: 'The Time Has Come for Sovereignty'

Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado said that “the time has come for sovereignty” following the capture of Nicolás Maduro.

www.breitbart.com

Gloria al Bravo Puebla Venezuela - GLORY TO THE BRAVE PEOPLE

That was incredibly well said. Thank you.

 

[SouthAussie]

"Armed civilians seen by a CNN team walking in the streets in Caracas

The civilians armed with assault rifles belong to the “Colectivos Chavistas” — pro-government paramilitary groups that exercise territorial control in certain parts of the Venezuelan capital."

https://edition.cnn.com/world/live-news/venezuela-explosions-caracas-intl-hnk-01-03-26?t=1767484298591

 

[Ontario Mom]

I suppose it depends on where we get the news.

RSBM

It shouldn't matter. If everyone is reporting the truth, the sources would all be reporting the exact same thing.

 

[Twick]

That was incredibly well said. Thank you.

In my opinion is it massive ignorance of history to think that American oil companies will run things “for the good of the Venezuelan people.” They never have in the past. They are not even running America for the good of Americans.

 

[sunspun]

I think that the previous indictment was issued under the Trump administration in March 2020.
Pres Biden increased the reward that was issued in March 2020 to a $25M reward in January 2025.


April 1, 2020
On March 26, in a live-streamed press conference, Attorney General William Barr and the Justice Department indicted Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and fourteen members of his inner circle with charges that range from money laundering and bribery to a narcoterrorism conspiracy with Colombia’s largest rebel group, FARC.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and the State Department also offered a cash reward of $15 million for Maduro and up to $10 million each for the others.

U.S. Offers $15M Reward for Info Leading to the Arrest or Conviction of Maduro

Filed in the Southern District of New York, the Department of Justice has announced an indictment on Nicolás Maduro and four other senior Venezuelan authorities on charges of narcoterrorism last Th…

www.politicsatnyu.org

"..... the Department of State on January 10, 2025, increased the reward offer to up to $25 million."

U.S. DEPARTMENT of STATE

So I don't understand how that reward would have worked. Because they always knew exactly where to find him, right? Or had he gone into hiding?

But if they knew where he was when they issued the reward, then the intent was to pay the reward to whomever delivered Meduro to them?

Was that Dead or Alive??

And I suppose implied immunity for anyone who earned the reward? Immunity against being charged with kidnapping, for example?

So is the only reason Trump and his "arresting officers" not eligible for the reward, the same reason local police officers aren't eligible when they arrest someone who has a reward tied to their arrest?

 

[nhmemorymaker]

One opinion says that may not happen.


McPherson [professor at Temple University], who specializes in U.S.-Latin American relations ..... “It seems quite clear that President Trump now wants to decide who the next president of Venezuela is going to be,” McPherson said. He added that Trump may not favor the opposition party, since they would be unwilling to hand over petroleum to American oil companies.

Live updates: Trump says the U.S. will 'run' Venezuela until a transition can take place

Follow live updates as a series of explosions are heard around Venezuela's capital after a military buildup in the Caribbean, tanker seizures, and Trump pressing President Nicolás Maduro to step down.

www.nbcnews.com

It definitely will not happen.
He has made that clear... he will just keep the US in there... the figurehead VP will be banished before too long.
moo moo moo moo.

 

[Ontario Mom]

In my opinion is it massive ignorance of history to think that American oil companies will run things “for the good of the Venezuelan people.” They never have in the past. They are not even running America for the good of Americans.

As an American (living in Canada) I respectfully disagree.

jmo

 

[sunspun]

Asked by The Post if “US troops [will] be on the ground helping run the country,” Trump said: “No, if Maduro’s vice president — if the vice president does what we want, we won’t have to do that.”

We’re prepared,” Trump added. “You know, we have a second wave that’s much bigger than the first wave.”

The president said that “we’ve spoken to her [Rodriguez] numerous times, and she understands, she understands


.”

They didn't speak to her BEFORE they kidnapped Maduro, did they? Sure she understands now, but I don't think she had any understanding of anything before the fact. Or did she?

 

[BeginnerSleuther]

In my personal opinion:
It’s so funny how people can comment on something they know so little about and that is being spun by a certain group.

It’s an EXTREMELY positive thing that happened and actually miraculous that it went down so smoothly.
Praying the transition to the proper democracy that the Venezuelan majority voted for is equally smooth.
Bravo to the US!!!
Finally we are showing bravery in the face of tyranny.
The good, faithful, honest people of Venezuela have BEGGED us for years to help/ to intervene.
Maduro WAS NOT the legitimate president.
He refused to move aside despite fewer votes- by a large margin than Edmundo Gonzalez received. Illegal, unethical and criminal.
He is an evil demonic dictator who (along with Chavez) ruined one of the most elegant countries in the world.
NOW THERE IS HOPE FOR FREEDOM AND A RETURN TO THE LEGITIMATE COUNTRY VENEZUELA WAS BEFORE IT WAS CORRUPTED in the late 1980s.

As someone who has been to Venezuela, is very close to many born in Venezuela and has been watching this story for many years and very closely for months- I CAN VOUCH THAT THIS IS AN ANSWER TO PRAYER FOR THE VAST MAJORITY OF VENEZUELANS.

If anyone is confused about this GLORIOUS GUTSY thing we just did- study it.

Read about Leoplodo Lopez & Edmundo Gonzalez - both exiled in Madrid.
Look at Maria Corina Machado’s Instagram page and scroll back to voting day when the brave people of this country brought the voting receipts to her- atop a truck.
By all means WATCH THE VIDEO OF HER DAUGHTER ACCEPTING THE NOBEL PRIZE ON HER BEHALF- LISTEN TO HER SPEECH - read about her recent journey to Oslo.
Open your heart to the possibility that this move to arrest Maduro was a godsend to the people who need it desperately- to those who have suffered under unspeakable tyranny and have begged for help.

THIS IS THE DAY OF LIBERTY IN VENEZUELA- praise God!!
Long live Venezuela and the proud people of Venezuela.

Nobody educated on this is naive enough to think this is a move against drugs alone.
The country benefited GREATLY in the past and will benefit GREATLY again when the Venezuelan oil industry is run by legitimate oil companies and not corrupt dictators.

Maria Corina’s official statement below:

María Corina Machado on Maduro's Capture: 'The Time Has Come for Sovereignty'

Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado said that “the time has come for sovereignty” following the capture of Nicolás Maduro.

www.breitbart.com

Gloria al Bravo Puebla Venezuela - GLORY TO THE BRAVE PEOPLE

Some of us have as much history as you with Venezuela and have also been watching this story unfold for many years. I think it's great that Mundaro is out. But Mark Carney's take is the best I've read today. I can be happy we rid Venezuela of a president they didn't elect and still have grave concerns about how this happened and what happens next. Destabilization is only acceptable if there's a plan to stabilize, which is why these things are usually not done unilaterally. Recent history has taught us what happens when we invade foreign countries to topple their leaders, however corrupt those leaders may be, without a successful strategy in place. It hasn't been a good thing.

Let's hope this is different and that we haven't set a precedent to do this again in the near future.

MOO.

 

[BeginnerSleuther]

RSBM

It shouldn't matter. If everyone is reporting the truth, the sources would all be reporting the exact same thing.

It's not that they're not reporting the truth. It's that there are many different things to report. There are many sides to this. It's not just a matter of "phew, we don't have to worry about him anymore." It's also a matter of people being terrified of what happens now. Is the US going to invade? Is anyone else now that they're vulnerable? Are there more air strikes coming? Are civilians going to die? How destabilizing is this exactly? The VP, Rodriguez, is apparently in charge, not Edmundo Gonzalez, who the people want. That doesn't sound like the kind of positive change they want.

This isn't just one big party and everyone is happy.

MOO.