The morning of January 3rd, 2026, erupted in chaos for Venezuela. A wave of explosions tore through Caracas and other major cities, signaling the commencement of a swift and decisive US military operation against the government of Nicolás Maduro.
The sky above Venezuela throbbed with the sound of low-flying aircraft, punctuated by the wail of air raid sirens. Brilliant flashes illuminated the darkness in at least six key locations, including the heavily fortified Fort Tiuna army base and La Carlota Air Base, plunging nearby neighborhoods into sudden blackouts.
The operation culminated in the capture of Nicolás Maduro and his wife. Taken in the dead of night, the former president was swiftly transported to the United States to face long-awaited justice.
Upon his arrival in the US, Maduro was formally indicted in the Southern District of New York. The charges were severe: Narco-Terrorism Conspiracy, Cocaine Importation Conspiracy, and multiple weapons offenses, including conspiracy to possess machineguns and destructive devices targeting the United States.
In the immediate aftermath, Diosdado Cabello, Maduro’s closest ally, emerged to address the nation. His words, though attempting to rally support, betrayed the gravity of the situation, admitting that the US had “partially achieved” its objectives through the airstrikes.
Cabello’s plea for calm felt hollow against the backdrop of devastation. He urged followers not to succumb to despair, yet the reality of Maduro’s capture and the scale of the military intervention were undeniable.
Speaking amidst a contingent of police and military personnel in Caracas, Cabello condemned the operation as a “treacherous, vile attack against a sleeping people,” characterizing it as a “cowardly” assault. His words, however, couldn’t mask the crumbling of Maduro’s regime.
