On January 3, 2026, President Donald Trump gave the orders to launch 150 planes sent to capture the president of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, and his wife, Cilia Flores. During this evasion, bombs were dropped on the Venezuelan capital, creating a current death toll of 56 people.
Trump has announced that until a transition in power is made, the U.S. will “run the country,”. He claimed the reasoning for the attack was to force Maduro to answer for his crimes of corruption, along with being in charge of alleged large amounts of illegal drugs flowing into the U.S., which are coming from Venezuela.
Despite these claims, there is speculation that addressing crime was not the real reason for this operation. Some believe that Trump is actually interested in the oil reserves that lie in Venezuela, rather than the quality of life of Venezuelans or achieving justice for possible illegal drug activities.
In an interview, Trump stated that post the invasion, he will be sending in large U.S. oil companies to fix the Venezuelan infrastructure. This is where much of the speculation about motives comes in.
There are also concerns that the implementation of the invasion may not have been legal and may have broken international law. There was no congressional approval validating the invasion, which causes murky waters, considering the Constitution is clear; only Congress can authorize war.
Overall opinions on whether or not the attack was a good idea vary between U.S. citizens, Venezuelans, and other government leaders. Some Venezuelans have expressed content with the fact that Maduro will be forced to face possible justice in regards to actions he has taken as president. Whereas others have taken to the streets of Venezuela to protest the events, accusing Trump of breaking the law and only looking after his own interests.
Countries such as Argentina, Peru, and Panama have openly supported the attack and Trump’s actions. Russia, Iran, China, and Mexico are a few countries that have expressed their disapproval with the attack, many stating that the U.S. did not gain approval from the UN Security Council.
As of now, Trump is still deciding final plans in regards to actions in Venezuela, and awaiting trial for Maduro and Flores.
