Gunfire erupted in Caracas, Venezuela, on Monday evening as President Donald Trump declared he was personally in charge of running the South American nation following a dramatic U.S. military operation that captured former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and brought him to American soil to face drug trafficking charges.
Videos verified by news outlets showed what appeared to be anti-aircraft fire at drones flying over the capital city. The gunfire occurred not far from the Miraflores presidential palace, creating confusion among residents and security forces.
Venezuelan authorities later reported that police officers had fired at drones flying without permission near the presidential palace. Officials characterized the incident as a misunderstanding between different security units and stated that no confrontation occurred.
A White House official told reporters the United States was not involved in the gunfire incident. The shooting came just hours after Trump made clear his administration’s role in Venezuela’s future during a television interview.
When asked who would be the top person running Venezuela, Trump responded: “Me.”
The president said the U.S. would run Venezuela temporarily during what he described as a transition period. Trump outlined plans for major American oil companies to invest billions of dollars to repair the country’s deteriorated oil infrastructure, noting that Venezuela possesses some of the world’s largest petroleum reserves but has seen production decline dramatically in recent years.
The extraordinary developments followed a U.S. military operation on Saturday, January 3, 2026, that resulted in Maduro’s capture. The operation, designated Operation Absolute Resolve, involved approximately 150 aircraft and lasted about two and a half hours. Delta Force, an elite U.S. Army special operations unit, carried out the mission.
Maduro, 63, and his wife Cilia Flores, 69, were seized near the Fuerte Tiuna military compound in Caracas. The couple arrived in New York on Saturday and were transported to Stewart Air National Guard base in New York before being transferred to the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn.
The former Venezuelan leader appeared in Manhattan federal court at noon on Monday to face charges. Maduro pleaded not guilty to drug trafficking charges and other criminal allegations. During the court proceeding, he told the judge: “I’m innocent. I’m not guilty.”
Speaking through a Spanish interpreter, Maduro told the court he had been kidnapped from his home in Caracas. His wife also entered a not guilty plea. The court scheduled the next hearing for March 17.
The charges against Maduro involve allegations of conspiracy to traffic cocaine to the United States. The indictment accuses him of leading what prosecutors describe as a corrupt government that partnered with drug trafficking organizations to funnel narcotics into American communities.
Following Maduro’s removal, Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez was sworn in as interim president by the country’s National Assembly. Rodriguez held her first council meeting on Sunday after taking the oath of office.
The military operation drew immediate international reaction. Cuba condemned the U.S. action and reported that 32 Cubans, including military and intelligence personnel, were killed during the strikes in Venezuela.
Venezuelan officials stated that at least 40 Venezuelans died during the operation. The strikes targeted multiple locations around Caracas, including military installations and strategic sites.
About half a dozen American service members were injured during the operation, according to U.S. officials, though none were killed. The injuries included personnel aboard aircraft that sustained damage but remained operational.
China objected strongly to Maduro’s arrest at an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council convened to discuss the operation’s legality. Chinese officials argued that no country has the authority to act as global judge or police in international affairs.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who was involved in planning the operation alongside other senior Trump administration officials, suggested the U.S. does not plan to directly govern Venezuela on the ground. However, he indicated the administration would continue what he called an “oil quarantine” as part of efforts to influence the country’s future direction.
Trump addressed the operation from his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, where he had observed the mission alongside senior White House aides. The president told reporters he had informed oil companies about the impending operation but had not notified members of Congress beforehand.
The charges against Maduro also extend to his son, Nicolas Ernesto Maduro Guerra, who faces allegations of involvement in illegal drug trafficking operations.
Venezuelan opposition leader Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, whom the U.S. had recognized as the legitimate winner of Venezuela’s disputed 2024 election, said in a video statement that Maduro’s removal was “an important step but not enough.” Gonzalez called for the release of all political prisoners and respect for the democratic will expressed by Venezuelan voters.
Fellow opposition leader Maria Corina Machado released a statement calling for Gonzalez to be recognized as Venezuela’s legitimately elected president and to assume control of the government and military. Machado described the moment as Venezuela’s “hour of freedom.”
The operation followed months of U.S. military buildup in the Caribbean region. The USS Gerald R Ford aircraft carrier and numerous other warships had been positioned in the area in the weeks leading up to the strikes. The Trump administration had also conducted a series of deadly operations targeting vessels allegedly carrying drugs in Caribbean waters.
In South Florida, home to one of the largest Venezuelan populations in the United States, residents gathered in Doral, Florida, to celebrate Maduro’s capture. Crowds waved flags and sang both the U.S. and Venezuelan national anthems outside gathering places in the community.
The arrest marked a dramatic escalation in Trump’s approach to Latin America. Speaking to reporters, the president also issued warnings to Colombian President Gustavo Petro, suggesting that similar military action could be taken against Colombia if it did not cooperate with U.S. anti-drug efforts.
Trump described Venezuela’s oil infrastructure as badly deteriorated, with rusted and broken equipment scattered across production sites. He said major American petroleum companies were prepared to invest substantial sums to rebuild the facilities and restore production levels that had declined sharply under Maduro’s leadership.
Maduro and Flores remained in custody at the Brooklyn detention facility following their court appearance. Their defense attorneys described the arrest as a military kidnapping and violation of international law, indicating they would challenge the jurisdiction of U.S. courts over the case.
The judge presiding over the case warned Maduro that any public statements he made could be used against him in future legal proceedings. Maduro appeared in court during the proceedings, while both he and his wife followed along through Spanish language interpretation.
The developments represented an unprecedented intervention by the United States in the internal affairs of a sovereign nation in the Western Hemisphere, raising questions about international law and the limits of American military power. The operation’s long-term implications for regional stability, Venezuela’s political future, and U.S. relations with Latin American nations remained unclear as the situation continued to unfold.
Sources:
https://www.thedailybeast.com/gunfire-erupts-as-trump-says-hes-in-charge-of-venezuela/
https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/venezuela-us-military-strikes-maduro-trump/
https://www.bhaskarenglish.in/international/news/venezuelas-president-a-prisoner-of-war-maduro-appears-in-us-court-calls-himself-civilised-136871586.html
https://nypost.com/2026/01/03/world-news/at-least-7-explosions-and-low-flying-aircraft-are-heard-in-venezuelas-caracas/
https://www.cbsnews.com/miami/news/miami-doral-weston-venezuela-community-reactions-nicolas-maduro-capture-trump/
