U.S. Kinetic Strikes in Caracas Facilitate Maduro Capture; Russia Condemns 'Aggression'

CARACAS/MOSCOW — U.S. special forces have captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro following heavy airstrikes on command and control infrastructure in Caracas early Saturday, Jan. 3. The operation, confirmed by the White House and evidenced by munitions impacting sovereign Venezuelan soil, marks a definitive escalation from naval containment to direct kinetic conflict.

Kinetic Thresholds Crossed While the Trump Administration has framed the extraction as a targeted law enforcement action against a "narcoterrorist" enterprise, the operational footprint satisfies critical definitions of military engagement. Confirmed reports of heavy airstrikes on the capital indicate that U.S. military kinetic force has impacted Venezuelan land territory, moving the conflict beyond the maritime skirmishes observed in late 2025.

Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López characterized the strikes as "the worst aggression" in the nation's history and has ordered a nationwide military mobilization. Despite the reported removal of Maduro, the mobilization signals that hostilities between the Armed Forces of the United States and the Venezuelan National Bolivarian Armed Forces (FANB) remain active.

Geopolitical Fallout: Russia Condemns 'Aggression' The Russian Foreign Ministry has formally condemned the operation as an "act of armed aggression" and a unilateral regime change effort against a sovereign ally. Moscow’s sharp rhetoric—warning of "unpredictable consequences"—draws a direct line between the U.S. intervention in Venezuela and ongoing geopolitical friction in Eastern Europe.

The strikes occurred just 24 hours after a diplomatic flashpoint on Jan. 2 involving an Iranian-origin oil tanker claiming Russian protection. The decision to proceed with strikes in Caracas immediately following this maritime standoff suggests Washington is willing to bypass Russian red lines in the Caribbean theater.

War Powers Clock With U.S. forces now introduced into active hostilities on Venezuelan territory, legal scrutiny shifts to the 48-hour reporting window required by the War Powers Resolution. While the President publicly announced the operation, analysts are monitoring for the formal submission of a report to Congress. Such a submission would legally codify the administration's basis for entering imminent hostilities, a key indicator for legislative oversight markets.