After a series of explosions in Caracas on January 3, 2026, a fire broke out in Fuerte Tiuna, Venezuela’s largest military complex. At around 2am (6am GMT) on January 3, a loud explosion was heard in Caracas, accompanied by a sound similar to a high-flying aircraft.
Lewis James | AFP | Getty Images
The United States carried out airstrikes inside Venezuela, US officials said, as explosions rocked the capital Caracas following months of threats by President Donald Trump against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.
The Venezuelan government said attacks also occurred in Miranda, Aragua and Araguaira states, prompting President Maduro to declare a national emergency and mobilize defense forces.
Explosions, aircraft and black smoke were visible across Caracas for about 90 minutes starting around 2 a.m. (6 p.m. local time), Reuters witnesses and images circulating on social media said.
Venezuelans across the city expressed shock and horror as they filmed plumes of smoke and orange flashes in the sky. “My love, look at that,” a woman says in the video, as she gasps at the sound of explosions in the distance.
Attacks following US military buildup
Witnesses said the power outage affected areas south of the city near a major military base.
Trump has repeatedly promised land operations in the South American oil-producing nation, which Maduro has led since 2013.
The United States, Venezuela’s opposition and other countries allege that Maduro rigged last year’s election to stay in power.
Reuters reports that Trump has not publicly detailed his intentions, but is privately pressuring Maduro to flee the country. President Trump said Monday it would be “wise” for Maduro to leave office.
The Pentagon referred questions to the White House, which declined to comment.
The Venezuelan government said in a statement that the purpose of the attack was to allow the United States to gain access to the country’s oil and minerals. He added that the United States “will not be successful” in acquiring resources.
The United States has undertaken a major military buildup in the region, deploying aircraft carriers, warships, and state-of-the-art fighter jets in the Caribbean.
President Trump has called for a “blockade” of Venezuelan oil, expanded sanctions against Maduro’s government and attacked more than two dozen vessels that the United States says are involved in drug trafficking in the Pacific and Caribbean.
President Trump said last week that the United States had struck an area where drugs were loaded onto a boat in Venezuela, marking the first known U.S. ground operation in Venezuela since the pressure campaign began.
He did not say whether these attacks were carried out by the CIA. Other media outlets reported that spy agencies were behind the attack.
President Trump has accused Venezuela of flooding the United States with drugs, and his administration has for months bombed ships from South America believed to be carrying drugs. Many countries have condemned the attack as an extrajudicial killing, and Maduro’s government has always denied involvement in drug trafficking.
