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United States,(WNN)- The United States attacked Venezuela with a big military operation early Saturday, January 3rd. They caught President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. This action made the already tense situation between the two countries much worse.
Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores in 2019
Wikipedia
Over 150 military aircraft from the U.S. took part in the operation called Absolute Resolve. It started at about 2 a.m. local time as explosions shook the capital and parts of northern Venezuela. Special forces arrived in Caracas, the capital of Venezuela, to capture Maduro, who was then taken to New York. There, he faced narcoterrorism charges that had been filed during Trump's previous term in office.
In a press conference on Saturday morning, President Donald Trump revealed the operation, explaining that the U.S. would "run" Venezuela until a stable transfer of power was in place. Trump mentioned that U.S. oil companies would upgrade Venezuela's infrastructure "to make money for the country" since Venezuela has the largest confirmed oil reserves in the world.
U.S. President Donald Trump speaking during the press conference.
The White House
The Trump administration applied growing pressure for months before taking military action. In December 2025, the U.S. set up a maritime blockade and stopped oil tankers carrying Venezuelan crude. Trump claimed Venezuela's oil reserves were taken from the United States, pointing to nationalizations in 1976 and 2007.
Starting in September, the U.S. Southern Command targeted vessels in the Caribbean accused of smuggling drugs. Towards the end of December, the CIA carried out a drone strike at a docking site suspected to be used by drug cartels. This marked the first direct U.S. mission on Venezuelan territory.
In August, the CIA deployed a team of elite soldiers to Venezuela to watch over Maduro's routines and locations. They created a replica of Maduro's safe house, practicing how to break into the secure building where they believed he was staying.
A week before the mission, Trump called Maduro and offered him one last chance to resign. When Maduro refused, the military launched the operation.
Nicolas Maduro on board the USS Iwo Jiwa
U.S President Donald Trump Truth Social
Venezuelan officials reported that many people were affected, but the exact number remains unknown. The Venezuelan defense minister, Vladimir Padrino López, mentioned that U.S. combat helicopters launched rockets and missiles in Venezuela. According to Venezuelan and Cuban officials, the attack caused the death of over 80 individuals, including 32 Cuban military and intelligence members.
In Catia La Mar, the strikes targeted a three-story apartment building where one person died, and another was injured. Some areas in the capital experienced power outages for hours after the attack.
Attorney General Pam Bondi stated that authorities had indicted Maduro and Flores in Southern New York on charges of drug trafficking and narcoterrorism. The charges claim that Maduro worked with global drug traffickers since 1999 to transport thousands of tons of cocaine into the U.S.
United States Attorney General Pam Bondi
Wikipedia
The Trump administration labeled two Venezuelan drug cartels as Foreign Terrorist Organizations. In July 2025, Trump directed the U.S. military to take action against cartels listed as terrorist groups.
Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez, who was sworn in as interim president by the Supreme Court, asked for Maduro's release and described his arrest as a kidnapping. She argued it "violates international law" and stated Maduro is the legitimate leader of the country. At the same time, she expressed that she was willing to talk with Washington.
Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado stated that Edmundo González seen by many as the true victor of Venezuela's 2024 elections, should take over the presidency. González is currently living in exile in Spain.
Trump said that it would be "very tough" for Machado to govern Venezuela. He said, "She doesn't have the support within or the respect within the country."
The operation drew criticism from around the world. Many have claimed it violated international law and conflicted with the U.N. Charter.
U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres said he felt "alarmed" by the military action. He described it as "a dangerous precedent." The president of the U.N. General Assembly reminded nations that the U.N. Charter "is not an optional document" and stressed that all member countries should avoid using force against others.
Brazil, Spain, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, and Uruguay released a joint statement to show their "deep concern and strong rejection of the military actions done without consent in Venezuelan territory." Brazil's President, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, criticized the attacks, calling them "a serious violation of Venezuela's sovereignty and an extremely dangerous precedent."
The Trump administration informed congressional leaders about the strikes after the operation in Venezuela had already begun. Democratic Senator Tim Kaine criticized these actions and urged Congress to back his resolution to stop the use of armed forces in Venezuela without congressional approval.
The New York Times Editorial Board criticized the attack. They described it as reckless and accused Washington of acting like "modern-day imperialists" without any legal or global approval. Russia expressed a similar opinion, saying the strike lacked any valid international justification.
Meanwhile, at Venezuela's request and with support from Russia and China, the U.N. Security Council planned an emergency meeting for Monday morning.
Trump stated Rodriguez is working with the U.S. and called for complete access to Venezuela's oil reserves and "other things in their country to help build it." He did not clarify which U.S. companies might work in Venezuela.
Colombia sent security forces to its border to get ready for a possible wave of refugees. Different nations warned their citizens against traveling to Venezuela.
This move marks the largest U.S. involvement in Latin America since the invasion of Panama in 1989. Maduro is set to go before a federal court in Manhattan on Monday.
Officials from the Trump administration stated the U.S. planned to keep an "oil quarantine" and keep applying pressure on Venezuela's government.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has mentioned the administration would not dismiss the possibility of more military options.
Maduro and Flores stood before the U.S. District Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein in a Manhattan federal court on Monday at noon for their arraignment. The session was completed in under an hour. They pleaded not guilty.
When officials announced the charges, Maduro tried to fight against his arrest. He called it a "kidnapping." The judge interrupted and said the hearing was not the time to make those statements.
When the court asked for his plea, Maduro said, "I am innocent. I am a decent man. I am still president of my country." Both Maduro and Flores pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
Maduro is accused of four crimes. These include conspiring in narcoterrorism, planning to import cocaine, having machine guns and destructive devices, and plotting to possess such weapons. If found guilty, they both could get life in prison.
The indictment, spanning 25 pages, accuses Maduro of starting drug trafficking into the United States as far back as 1999. It claims he gave drug traffickers diplomatic passports and worked with cartels to move cocaine through the Caribbean and Central America, while getting protection from Venezuelan law enforcement.
Barry Pollack, a lawyer based in Washington who once represented WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, is now defending Maduro.
Pollack called Maduro's arrest an "abduction" and said he expects a long legal battle over what he referred to as Maduro's "military abduction." The defense team plans to question the arrest's legality and will file several motions in response.
Flores is being defended by Mark Donnelly, a Houston-based attorney specializing in white collar criminal defense. Donnelly said his client is "in good spirits" and that the defense looks forward to reviewing and challenging the government's evidence.
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