We all woke up to the news that Donald Trump launched strikes on Venezuela, in and around Curacas and captured Venezuela’s leader, Nicolás Maduro, and his wife.
Maduro had been indicted under Trump’s first administration in 2020 for drug smuggling, so Team Trump has presented this as a law enforcement issue.
Maduro and his wife are currently onboard the USS Iwo Jima, one of two American warships that had been deployed to the area near Venezuela, headed to New York to stand trial on drug and weapons charges.
News and reactions are coming in fast and furious, but here are some reports so far:
• New York Times: Trump made the announcement on Truth Social announcing that the U.S. had carried out “a large scale strike against Venezuela” in an operation that was conducted “in conjunction with U.S. law enforcement.”
• Washington Post: The mission to take Maduro out of power was named “Operation Absolute Resolve,” and began at 10:46 p.m. It involved more than 150 aircraft, launching from 20 different bases and involved forces on the ground and at sea.
• The Hill: Trump told Fox News that two American personnel and a helicopter were hit during the overnight raid but no one from the U.S. side was killed.
• Washington Post: Maduro faces charges including narco-terrorism, cocaine-trafficking conspiracies and weapons offenses, stemming from a long-running federal case in New York.
• ABC News Miami: Hundreds of Venezuelans gathered in Doral Saturday morning cheering the news that the U.S. had captured Maduro.
• The Guardian: Colombia has reportedly mobilized its military forces following the strike concerned about refugees fleeing in the aftermath of the attacks. Colombia’s president also called for an emergency session of the UN security council: “The government of Colombia rejects the aggression against the sovereignty of Venezuela and of Latin America.”
• State Department: Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a statement saying Maduro defied the will of the Venezuelan people regarding last year’s election and “is not the President of Venezuela and his regime is not the legitimate government.”
• New York Times: During a press conference, Trump said the United States would “run” Venezuela until a proper transition of power could be arranged. At this time, however, Delcy Rodríguez, Maduro’s vice president, has been sworn in as interim president.
• New York Times: The NY Times Editorial Board penned an op-ed saying the strikes may violate international law and are unwise.
• X: France’s President Emmanuel Macron wrote on X, “The Venezuelan people are today rid of the dictatorship of Nicolás Maduro and can only rejoice at this. We hope that President Edmundo González Urrutia, elected in 2024, will be able to ensure this transition as quickly as possible.”
• Mexico: The Government of Mexico said in a statement it “strongly condemns and rejects unilaterally executed military actions by armed forces of the United States of America calling them a clear violation of article 2 of the Charter of the United Nations (UN).
• Politico Europe: The European Union issued a statement urging Trump to respect international law.
• The Hill: Russia has publicly condemned the “armed aggression.”
Lavrov in communication with Venezuela’s Delcy Rodriguez following Maduro’s capture
He expresses Russia’s STRONG solidarity with the people of Venezuela in face of armed aggression
Rumors of her presence in Russia ‘completely false’ — MFA pic.twitter.com/jKkuB1URTB
— RT (@RT_com) January 3, 2026
• Politico: Sen. Tim Kaine called the move to oust Maduro without congressional approval “a sickening return to a day when the United States asserted the right to dominate” the Western Hemisphere.
• NBC News: Vice President JD Vance wrote on X that the U.S. will be taking back our “stolen oil.”
The president offered multiple off ramps, but was very clear throughout this process: the drug trafficking must stop, and the stolen oil must be returned to the United States. Maduro is the newest person to find out that President Trump means what he says.
Kudos to our brave… pic.twitter.com/b1fqkdbB4x
— JD Vance (@JDVance) January 3, 2026
Follow along for more updates at the New York Times (gift link).
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