Overview
- Explosions and overflights were reported across Caracas in the early hours of Jan. 3, with strikes cited at Fuerte Tiuna and La Carlota, and casualty figures not independently verified.
- President Donald Trump said U.S. forces detained Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, and flew them out of Venezuela, citing long-standing SDNY narcotrafficking indictments.
- Venezuela denounced a “gravísima agresión” and declared a state of exception as the Supreme Tribunal ordered Vice President Delcy Rodríguez to assume the presidency, a move the Defense Ministry recognized on Sunday.
- Trump stated the United States will oversee a temporary transition, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio signaled Washington could work with current Venezuelan leaders if they meet U.S. demands.
- Global reactions sharply diverged, Colombia mobilized troops to its border, and the U.N. Security Council prepared emergency discussions as key details about custody and locations remain unconfirmed.