Venezuela in January 2026: the most important developments in security
In January 2026, security news from Venezuela was dominated by the US military operation in Caracas that captured President Nicolas Maduro on 3 January. Reports said US special forces, including Delta Force, took part, about 200 US troops were involved according to the Pentagon, and US intelligence agencies contributed. Maduro was flown to New York and held in custody, and his wife was arrested as well. Several US service members were wounded. Reported Venezuelan deaths ranged between 24 and about 100, with Venezuela later confirming that 47 of its soldiers were killed. Cuba said 32 of its personnel died, and their remains were returned to Havana by 16 January. Venezuela called the operation an act of war, and its attorney general described the capture as an abduction.
After the raid, Venezuela declared a state of emergency and closed its border with Brazil for a time. Armed pro-government militias set up checkpoints, and reports described a wave of repression and a hunt for infiltrators in the security forces. The US told its citizens to leave the country immediately. Colombia deployed troops to its border with Venezuela, and Brazil authorised its National Guard to deploy to a border city. Donald Trump announced ground strikes against drug cartels in Venezuela and called off a second wave of attacks. The US reduced the number of warships near the country.
At sea, US forces boarded or seized at least six oil tankers linked to Venezuela in the Caribbean and elsewhere. A Russian submarine escorted a Russian-flagged tanker that evaded a seizure attempt. Officials outlined a three-phase plan for Venezuela and reports said the CIA director met a Venezuelan official on 16 January.
The operation was cited later in the month, when Trump referred to it as a precedent while saying a US fleet was heading toward Iran. On 28 January Marco Rubio declined to rule out further US military action in Venezuela.
by WorldBrief & Maksim Micheliov | AI-generated summary
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