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U.S. Launches Military Operations in Venezuela, Maduro ‘Captured’

FlyMarshall NewsroomBy No Comments6 Mins Read

Airstrikes and helicopter raids have been seen inside Venezuelan territory as President Trump confirms attacks, stating that President Nicolás Maduro has been captured by U.S. forces.

After a huge buildup of military assets, unparalleled to anything seen before in the U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) region, and attacks against alleged drug trafficking vessels as far back as September, the U.S. has now commenced direct operations against Venezuela and the administration headed by Nicolás Maduro. U.S. officials told CBS News shortly after airstrikes began that the directive had been issued by President Donald Trump.

Then, shortly before 09:22 UTC, U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed a ‘large scale strike’ against Venezuela and said that Venzuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife have been captured by U.S. forces.

Very little detail is presently known about the airstrikes, which could have come from any, or even all, of the assorted combat aircraft that have been assembled at airfields in the region and on U.S. Navy vessels in the surrounding seas. The USS Gerald R. Ford carrier strike group (CSG) sails with the usual complement of F/A-18E/F Super Hornets and EA-18G Growlers, while the Iwo Jima amphibious ready group (ARG) is equipped with the AV-8B Harrier II – though most of the ARG’s air wing has been staged ashore.

F-35A and F-35B Lightning II stealth fighters have been deployed to land bases alongside additional EA-18Gs. It would seem likely that the Growlers and Lightning IIs, of all aircraft available, would have been some of the first to join the attacks and provide suppression of enemy air defences (SEAD) capabilities. Targets known to have been struck include military bases, port facilities, and communications towers, though there are almost certainly more that have been or will be targeted.

SEAD cover would have been especially prudent as video footage confirms the activity of U.S. helicopters over Venezuelan territory, namely MH-47G Chinooks of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (SOAR) as well as an unconfirmed attack helicopter carrying out rocket and gun attacks. This may be, as many sources have claimed, an AH-64 Apache, or it could be an MH-60 Direct Action Penetrator (SAP) from the 160th SOAR itself which, unlike an Apache, can be refueled in flight, or one of the unit’s AH-6 Little Birds.

The 160th SOAR – the most experienced and specialised special forces helicopter unit in U.S. service – were almost certainly involved in the operation that President Trump says has captured the Venezuelan leader, and it will likely become one of their most famous raids alongside Operation Neptune Spear against Osama bin Laden’s compound in Afghanistan. This time, it appears they were used to transport members of the U.S. Army’s Delta Force (officially 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment–Delta)

Venezuela’s government declared a state of emergency, and an official statement read: “The Bolivarian Government calls on all social and political forces in the country to activate mobilization plans and repudiate this imperialist attack.”. While no official statement from the U.S. had yet appeared, beyond anonymous comments to reporters, Venezuela named the U.S. and declared the attacks a “very serious military aggression”. It is still too early to have a firm idea on potential casualties.

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration issued a NOTAM closing Venezuelan airspace to all U.S. airlines and civilian aircraft due to ongoing military operations. The notice took effect from 0600 UTC on Jan. 3, 2026.

Prior to these strikes, it has become known in recent days that a drone strike had been carried out on Venezuelan soil by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) early in December. It is also very likely that other covert U.S. actions, including intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) overflights by stealth UAVs, have also breached Venezuelan borders well in advance of direct kinetic action.

Unsurprisingly, and contrasting many days in the lead-up to these strikes, very little activity is visible on flight tracking websites like Flightradar24.

Authorization for the strikes apparently came days in advance, with all capabilities in place by Christmas Day, but world events delayed the start date. A full press conference led by President Trump is expected at 1600 UTC on Jan. 3.

This is a rapidly evolving, ongoing story, and the information in this article may be updated as new reports become available. 


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