China condemns US raid in Venezuela; Pentagon retains strike posture despite Maduro extraction

CARACAS/BEIJING — The prospect of further U.S. kinetic action in Venezuela remains high today, even as China’s Foreign Ministry issued a sharp condemnation of the January 3 operation that extracted Nicolás Maduro. While Beijing has labeled the U.S. intervention a threat to Latin American peace, Pentagon officials have reportedly signaled that air operations—and the potential for subsequent strikes—remain on the table if the interim transition stalls.

The diplomatic rebuke from Beijing clashes directly with the operational reality on the ground. Despite the successful extraction of Maduro and his transfer to U.S. custody, the Department of Defense has retained significant strike capabilities in the Caribbean theater. Crucially, the U.S. continues to enforce a total closure of Venezuelan airspace. Defense analysts note that maintaining such a blockade often requires lethal enforcement against violators, keeping the window for aerial interdiction or drone activity wide open.

For observers monitoring the risk of continued bombardment, the friction points extend beyond the presidency. The Trump administration’s designation of the "Cartel de los Soles" as a Foreign Terrorist Organization provides Washington with an enduring domestic legal justification for strikes against remaining regime elements, regardless of Maduro's absence.

While Vice President Delcy Rodríguez has signaled a tentative willingness to engage with U.S. officials, Washington has made it clear it intends to "run" the country to ensure oil stability. Failure by the remnants of the Maduro administration to align with these objectives could trigger the "additional targeted military responses" referenced by defense officials.

China, joined by Russia and Iran, maintains that these actions constitute a "blatant violation" of sovereignty. However, with the U.S. military posture unchanged since the January 3 raid, diplomatic protests appear unlikely to deter further unilateral action if the White House deems it necessary to secure the transition.