WASHINGTON — The United States launched a large-scale military operation against Venezuela early Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026, capturing President Nicolás Maduro and his wife and transporting them to New York, as US officials said American forces would remain in the region amid mounting international criticism and protests.
President Donald Trump said the United States would temporarily take control of Venezuela until what he described as a safe and orderly political transition could be arranged, offering no timeline. Speaking in Florida, Trump said senior officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, would help oversee the transition and did not rule out further military involvement.
High state of readiness
Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said US forces remain at a high state of readiness following the strikes. Trump said the United States would maintain a presence linked to Venezuela’s oil sector, authorize US energy companies to invest in its infrastructure and keep an embargo on Venezuelan oil in place.
US media, citing a senior Venezuelan official, reported that at least 40 people, including civilians and soldiers, were killed in the strikes, which the Venezuelan government said hit civilian and military targets in at least four states.
Acting president
Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez rejected the US action, saying Maduro remains the country’s only president and demanding his release. In a televised address, she urged Venezuelans to remain calm and defend national sovereignty, saying the country would never become a colony of another power.
Later Saturday, Venezuela’s Supreme Court ordered Rodríguez to assume the role of acting president following Maduro’s capture.
Conflicting reports emerged over Rodríguez’s whereabouts, with Russia’s Foreign Ministry denying media claims that she was in Moscow and Venezuelan state media saying she remained in the country.
The United Nations (UN) voiced alarm over the US military action, with Secretary-General António Guterres stressing the need for full respect of international law and the UN Charter, according to his spokesperson.
Protests against the US military action were planned in Washington, New York, Chicago and other US cities as international concern over the operation continued to grow. / XINHUA