The 2026 Venezuela Operation

Venezuela's government under Nicolas Maduro had been accused by the United States of election fraud, repression, and ties to drug trafficking, and in 2020 Maduro was indicted in New York on narco-terrorism charges. In 2025 the administration designated Venezuelan gangs as terrorist organizations, built up naval forces in the Caribbean, and carried out strikes on boats it said were carrying drugs, arguing that the country was in an armed conflict with cartels.

In the early hours of January 3, 2026, U.S. forces struck military sites in and around Caracas, including La Carlota air base and Fort Tiuna, while special operations units raided a compound and captured Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. They were flown to the USS Iwo Jima and then to New York to face federal charges. More than 150 aircraft took part, and officials reported several U.S. service members injured. The administration described the raid as an operation to arrest indicted fugitives and protect the country from drug trafficking, and it did not seek congressional authorization beforehand.

Many governments, including some U.S. allies, and United Nations officials criticized the raid as a violation of sovereignty and international law, while supporters in the United States and many Venezuelans abroad welcomed Maduro's removal. In January 2026 the Senate defeated a war powers resolution on the operation after a 50 to 50 vote broken by the Vice President, with senators citing assurances that the administration would seek authorization for major operations. The episode renewed the debate over whether presidents may use force abroad without Congress.