U.S. says Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro captured after large scale strikes

US President Donald Trump said today (January 03) that the United States has captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife during large scale military strikes and flown them out of the country.

According to US officials quoted by the media, Maduro and his wife were captured by the US Army’s Delta Force, which is the United States military’s top counter terrorism unit.

Following the announcement, Venezuela’s Defence Minister Vladimir Padrino said in a video message early Saturday that the country would resist the presence of foreign troops. He said US attacks in the early morning had struck civilian areas and that authorities are compiling information on those killed and injured.

Earlier, Venezuela’s government accused the United States of carrying out attacks on civilian and military installations in multiple states. The government rejected what it described as military aggression by Washington and declared a national emergency after the series of attacks.

The escalation comes after months of tension between the two countries. The United States has accused President Maduro of involvement in drug trafficking, an allegation he has repeatedly denied.

On Thursday January 01, 2026, Maduro said he was open to negotiating a deal with the United States to combat drug trafficking. Despite this, the US has carried out more than 20 air strikes in the sea near Venezuela since September, while also imposing sanctions and increasing military pressure on Caracas.

Meanwhile, the US embassy in Bogota said it is aware of reports of explosions in and around Venezuela’s capital, Caracas. The embassy reiterated warnings for US citizens not to travel to Venezuela.

In a security notice, the embassy urged US citizens currently in Venezuela to leave the country as soon as it is safe to do so. It noted that Venezuela is under a Level 4 Do Not Travel advisory, the highest warning level, and advised Americans to avoid travel, shelter in place if already in the country, and maintain multiple lines of communication with family and friends outside Venezuela.

The statement also recalled that in March 2019, the US Department of State withdrew all diplomatic personnel from the US embassy in Caracas and suspended its operations.