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

[MelmothTheLost]

And oil companies! Can you imagine them eager to rush in? Nah. This is so typical of the US - bumble in without a plan, without any firm understanding of what is going on in that country, just being hyper focused on their own $ goals.

I was including the oil companies under "corporate", but that would also include the private sector security companies supporting the oil industry.

 

[sds71]

With oil trading at roughly $56 a barrel, the transaction Trump announced late Tuesday could be worth as much as $2.8 billion.

The U.S. goes through an average of roughly 20 million barrels a day of oil and related products, so Venezuela's transfer would be the equivalent of as much as two and a half days of supply, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

https://www.npr.org/2026/01/07/nx-s1-5668993/trump-us-30-million-barrels-oil-venezuela

 

[SouthAussie]

As narratives circulate abroad suggesting Venezuelans are celebrating the removal of President Nicolas Maduro amid deep economic hardship, scenes in the capital tell a different story.

Following the Trump administration’s abduction of Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores, masses of people returned to public squares on Tuesday, waving Venezuelan flags, bouncing to patriotic music and flashing V-for-victory signs in defiance of US President Donald Trump’s vow to “run” the country.

Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello, named in the US indictment unsealed on Saturday, moved through the crowd wearing a blue cap bearing the slogan “to doubt is to betray,” high-fiving supporters and projecting calm as thousands rallied around him.

TRT World - In photos: Thousands of Venezuelans take to streets to oppose US intervention

Thousands of Venezuelans filled the streets of Caracas to denounce US intervention and demand the return of abducted President Nicolas Maduro.

www.trtworld.com

 

[CrimeDawg123]

As narratives circulate abroad suggesting Venezuelans are celebrating the removal of President Nicolas Maduro amid deep economic hardship, scenes in the capital tell a different story.

Following the Trump administration’s abduction of Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores, masses of people returned to public squares on Tuesday, waving Venezuelan flags, bouncing to patriotic music and flashing V-for-victory signs in defiance of US President Donald Trump’s vow to “run” the country.

Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello, named in the US indictment unsealed on Saturday, moved through the crowd wearing a blue cap bearing the slogan “to doubt is to betray,” high-fiving supporters and projecting calm as thousands rallied around him.

TRT World - In photos: Thousands of Venezuelans take to streets to oppose US intervention

Thousands of Venezuelans filled the streets of Caracas to denounce US intervention and demand the return of abducted President Nicolas Maduro.

www.trtworld.com

I'm sure this is a surprise to no one. I love that he said "to doubt is to betray" which is exactly a thing Trump would say, although not in a complete sentence.

 

[Hexe]

As narratives circulate abroad suggesting Venezuelans are celebrating the removal of President Nicolas Maduro amid deep economic hardship, scenes in the capital tell a different story.

Following the Trump administration’s abduction of Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores, masses of people returned to public squares on Tuesday, waving Venezuelan flags, bouncing to patriotic music and flashing V-for-victory signs in defiance of US President Donald Trump’s vow to “run” the country.

Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello, named in the US indictment unsealed on Saturday, moved through the crowd wearing a blue cap bearing the slogan “to doubt is to betray,” high-fiving supporters and projecting calm as thousands rallied around him.

TRT World - In photos: Thousands of Venezuelans take to streets to oppose US intervention

Thousands of Venezuelans filled the streets of Caracas to denounce US intervention and demand the return of abducted President Nicolas Maduro.

www.trtworld.com

Great job, dear US. You just managed to get a mass support of Venezuelans for the regime. Great job and remember, that's just the beginning.

Sonetimes I wonder if we aren't witnessing the final days of the US...

 

[Inthedetails]

And at least 56 people were killed in the process. Source for that number is linked upthread.

jmopinion

Update:

According to the New York Times, as many as 80 people, including civilians, were killed during the strikes by the US military, which began in the early hours of Saturday morning.

John Swinney urged to stop trade talks with United States over Maduro capture

Activists made the plea prior to a picket at the US Consulate in Edinburgh following the capture of Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro.

uk.news.yahoo.com

 

[Elley Mae]

I'm seeing reports/confirmation that US forces have boarded the Bella 1/Marinera in the NE Atlantic. There has been speculation that the ship was carrying Iranian drone or other military surveillance materials to Venezuela. Also possibly personnel and/or nuclear or biological materials.

U.S. launches operation to seize Russian-flagged oil tanker linked to Venezuela

The sanctioned ship, which changed its name from the Bella 1 to the Marinera, was secured in the operation Wednesday, according to one U.S. official. It was initially pursued by the Coast Guard off Venezuela last month.

www.nbcnews.com

 

[MelmothTheLost]

U.S. launches operation to seize Russian-flagged oil tanker linked to Venezuela

The sanctioned ship, which changed its name from the Bella 1 to the Marinera, was secured in the operation Wednesday, according to one U.S. official. It was initially pursued by the Coast Guard off Venezuela last month.

www.nbcnews.com

The BBC has running feed on the incident:

White House holding briefing after US seizes Russian-flagged tanker in Atlantic - follow live

The UK said it gave support to the operation, while the US confirmed it had also seized a second vessel linked to Venezuela in the Caribbean Sea.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Elley Mae]

He called the strike a “targeted law enforcement action” against an “indicted criminal.”

“Let me be clear, the U.S. did not invade Venezuela,” Rizzuto said. “President Trump offered Maduro multiple offramps. This was not an interference in democracy…it actually removed the obstacle to it.”

He said the U.S. wants a better and democratic future for Venezuela.

Cuba Releases Details of 32 Officers Killed in US Strike on Venezuela as US Defends Attack | Military.com

www.military.com

“You cannot continue to have the largest oil reserves in the world under the control of adversaries of the Western Hemisphere while the people of Venezuela have no electricity, substandard quality of life, and its profits don’t benefit the people in Venezuela,” Rizzuto said. “The profits are stolen by a handful of oligarchs around the world, including those inside of Venezuela.”

 

[Inthedetails]

The BBC has running feed on the incident:

White House holding briefing after US seizes Russian-flagged tanker in Atlantic - follow live

The UK said it gave support to the operation, while the US confirmed it had also seized a second vessel linked to Venezuela in the Caribbean Sea.

www.bbc.co.uk

Just got an alert from NYTimes as well. Live updates:

Live Updates: U.S. Intercepts Russian-Flagged Tanker; Trump Says Venezuela Will Start Sending Oil

The U.S. military had been pursuing the Russian-flagged tanker as part of its pressure campaign against Venezuela. The move deepens a confrontation with Russia after the U.S. ouster of Venezuela’s president.

www.nytimes.com

 

[nhmemorymaker]

Well this is horrifying:

"Gangs of armed pro-regime militants on motorbikes have taken over the streets of Caracas, hunting down Venezuelans who support the US’s audacious capture of dictator Nicolás Maduro, according to videos and on-the-ground accounts shared with The Post and multiple reports. The masked thugs, known as Colectivos, holding Russian automatic weapons, brought rush hour traffic to a grinding halt in the Venezuelan capital, stopping drivers at checkpoints and demanding to search their phones and cars, four sources in Venezuela confirmed Monday and Tuesday."

Pro-Maduro motorcycle gang thugs hunting for Trump supporters in Caracas days after dictator’s capture: ‘Very tense’

“The future is uncertain,” one distressed resident said.

nypost.com

What is horrifying. I find anything to be expected.
This is their country, not ours.

Aggression begets aggression.

 

[otto]

I'm seeing reports/confirmation that US forces have boarded the Bella 1/Marinera in the NE Atlantic. There has been speculation that the ship was carrying Iranian drone or other military surveillance materials to Venezuela. Also possibly personnel and/or nuclear or biological materials.

If the reports are coming from the US, be skeptical. It sounds like propaganda. Two other oil ships near Venezuela have been seized, and neither contained anything other than oil.

The Bella 1 ship is reportedly empty; carrying nothing. It was going to Venezuela to get oil. When the US attempted to seize the ship, it ran. It's been running for 3-4 weeks.

Think about it ... If any country wanted to give drones or uranium to Venezuela at the same time that the US is seizing ships, wouldn't ships would be the last choice for transportation? There are better options.

"The tanker, which had been sailing to Venezuela to pick up oil, has claimed Russian protection, although the U.S. authorities say it is a stateless vessel.
...

The government of Russia has made a formal diplomatic request that the United States stop its pursuit of an oil tanker that had been sailing for Venezuela and is now fleeing the Coast Guard in the Atlantic Ocean, according to two people with knowledge of the matter.
...

American forces have been tracking the tanker, known as the Bella 1, for nearly two weeks. The ship, which started its journey in Iran, had been on its way to pick up oil in Venezuela when U.S. forces tried to stop and board it in the Caribbean Sea. ... But the crew of the Bella 1 refused to comply and sailed back toward the Atlantic."

January 1, 2026

Russia Asks United States to Stop Pursuit of Fleeing Oil Tanker

The tanker, which had been sailing to Venezuela to pick up oil, has claimed Russian protection, although the U.S. authorities say it is a stateless vessel.

www.nytimes.com

~ in my humble opinion ~​

 

[Elley Mae]

The officials, who were speaking on condition of anonymity, said Wednesday's operation near Iceland was being carried out by the Coast Guard and U.S. military.

Exclusive: US seizing Venezuela-linked, Russian-flagged oil tanker after weeks-long pursuit

The U.S. was attempting on Wednesday to seize a Russian-flagged oil tanker being shadowed by a Russian submarine, after a more than two-week-long pursuit across the Atlantic as part of a U.S. "blockade" of Venezuelan oil exports, two U.S. officials told Reuters.

www.reuters.com

 

[sds71]

Separately, the U.S. Coast Guard has also intercepted another Venezuela-linked tanker in Latin American waters, U.S. officials told Reuters, as the U.S. continues enforcing its blockade of sanctioned vessels from Venezuela.

Sources told Reuters that vessel was Panama-flagged supertanker M Sophia, which is under sanctions.
It had departed from Venezuelan waters in early January as part of a fleet of ships carrying Venezuelan oil to China in "dark mode" or with its transponder off, according to shipping data and sources.

Exclusive: US seizing Venezuela-linked, Russian-flagged oil tanker after weeks-long pursuit

The U.S. was attempting on Wednesday to seize a Russian-flagged oil tanker being shadowed by a Russian submarine, after a more than two-week-long pursuit across the Atlantic as part of a U.S. "blockade" of Venezuelan oil exports, two U.S. officials told Reuters.

www.reuters.com

 

[nhmemorymaker]

Who is Stephen Miller? It looks like he has stepped from behind the curtain to reveal that he is in charge of US government decisions, and that he will decide which countries to invade based on his decisions about foreign natural resources and national interest.

The message is clear that the US cannot afford to buy what they think they need, so they will use military force to steal what they want. If the US was able to buy what they need, they would not resort to theft.

“Nobody’s going to fight the United States militarily over the future of Greenland,” Mr. Miller told Jake Tapper, the CNN host, after being asked repeatedly whether he would rule out using military force ... a new world order in which the United States could freely overthrow national governments and take foreign territory and resources so long as it was in the national interest.
...

Mr. Miller also echoed Mr. Trump’s intent to rule Venezuela and exploit its vast oil reserves after a U.S. raid seized President Nicolás Maduro and his wife from Caracas.
...

Mr. Miller’s language echoed a dark history of the United States’ governing weaker, smaller states in Latin America by flexing its military might. ... “We set the terms and conditions,” Mr. Miller said. “We have a complete embargo on all of their oil and their ability to do commerce. So for them to do commerce, they need our permission. For them to be able to run an economy, they need our permission. So the United States is in charge. The United States is running the country.”

Stephen Miller Asserts U.S. Has Right to Take Greenland

In a CNN interview, the Trump aide also echoed the president’s intent to run Venezuela as he laid out a case for the United States to control weaker states by flexing its military might.

www.nytimes.com

~ in my humble opinion ~​

Stephen Miller is pure evil.
He earned his chops early regarding immigration policy and got himself attached to Trump early on... when he was campaigning in 2015.
I remember thinking "good" we are also rid of Miller...when Trump lost in 2020.
How little did I know what was brewing constantly under the surface for all those four years.... moos moos
moos (my opinion only, sadly)

 

[LAborn]

The situation involved arrests, not kidnappings. The indictment is in link. moo

After apparent months of planning, the U.S. strike that resulted in the arrest of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro unfolded swiftly over the weekend, with American forces converging on Caracas to arrest Maduro and his wife.

Key moments in the US arrest of and case against Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro

After apparent months of planning, the U.S. strike that resulted in the arrest of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro unfolded swiftly over the weekend, with American forces converging on Caracas to arrest Maduro and his wife.

apnews.com

It's a kidnapping. It was an attack by US military. It is an occupation. It is resource stealing.

There was no extradiction: "In an extradition, one jurisdiction delivers a person accused or convicted of committing a crime in another jurisdiction, into the custody of the other's law enforcement. It is a cooperative law enforcement procedure between the two jurisdictions, and depends on the arrangements made between them. In addition to legal aspects of the process, extradition also involves the physical transfer of custody of the person being extradited to the legal authority of the requesting jurisdiction." Extradition - Wikipedia

 

[MelmothTheLost]

If the reports are coming from the US, be skeptical. It sounds like propaganda. Two other oil ships near Venezuela have been seized, and neither contained anything other than oil.

The Bella 1 ship is reportedly empty; carrying nothing. It was going to Venezuela to get oil. When the US attempted to seize the ship, it ran. It's been running for 3-4 weeks.

There's a reason this one attempted to change its (fake) flag mid-voyage and do a runner towards Russia. And there's a reason Russia sent a sub and other assets to try to protect it.

"The tanker, which had been sailing to Venezuela to pick up oil, has claimed Russian protection, although the U.S. authorities say it is a stateless vessel.

Apparently under maritime law a vessel cannot change its flag mid-voyage as that renders it stateless.

The government of Russia has made a formal diplomatic request that the United States stop its pursuit of an oil tanker that had been sailing for Venezuela and is now fleeing the Coast Guard in the Atlantic Ocean, according to two people with knowledge of the matter.

So why is Putin so keen to ensure this particular complete rust-bucket reaches Russia?

The owner of this particular tanker was sanctioned several years ago by the Biden administration.

 

[nhmemorymaker]

Great job, dear US. You just managed to get a mass support of Venezuelans for the regime. Great job and remember, that's just the beginning.

Sonetimes I wonder if we aren't witnessing the final days of the US...

I have been comparing this "trip" that we are all on...
as travelling down rushing waters in a barrel.
We have totally lost sight of our past location, and have no idea of where we are going.
For all we can "see" are the walls of the barrel.

 

[Elley Mae]

This article dated 10 January 2025

US announces $25m reward for arrest of Venezuela's Maduro

US announces $25m reward for arrest of Venezuela's Nicolás Maduro

The increased reward was announced on the day Maduro was sworn in for a third six-year term as president.

www.bbc.com

The US has announced an increased $25m (£20.4m) reward for information leading to the arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro on the day he was sworn in for a third six-year term in office.

The UK also issued sanctions on 15 top Venezuelan officials, including judges, members of the security forces and military officials.

Foreign Secretary David Lammy went on to describe Maduro's regime as "fraudulent".
Also on Friday, the EU said it was extending "restrictive measures" against Venezuela because of "the lack of progress... leading to the restoration of democracy and the rule of law". The bloc also sanctioned a further 15 Venezuelan officials.
Canada also imposed fresh sanctions in what Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly called Maduro's "shameless actions".

The 28 July election results were widely rejected by the international community, including by Brazil and Colombia, some of Venezuela's left-wing neighbours.

Maduro has a few allies remaining including Iran, China and Russia but is increasingly isolated on the world stage.

…

 

[Ontario Mom]

What is horrifying. I find anything to be expected.
This is their country, not ours.

Aggression begets aggression.

That's like saying when the playground bully finally gets busted, him turning around and beating up the kids who celebrated it, is perfectly normal.

My heart goes out to the actual victims, the Venezuelan people. No one should have to live like this.