United States Intervention in Venezuela Situation Report #1

US intervention in Venezuela Sitrep #1.pdf

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Highlights:  

·       On January 3^rd, the United States’ military launched an assault on Venezuela with the intent to capture Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores:

o   Initial reports indicate that at least 80 people were killed in the attack, which included 32 Cuban military and intelligence members.

o   Maduro and Flores have been indicted in the United States on charges of narco-terrorism, conspiracy and cocaine importation conspiracy.

·       Vice-President Delcy Rodriguez became acting President of Venezuela as ordered by the Supreme Court.

·       The United States airstrikes struck targets in Caracas, La Guaira, Miranda and Aragua. The specific sites targeted included:

o   La Guaira Port

o   Higuerote Airport in Miranda

o   Telecommunication towers located southeast of Caracas

o   Auditorium of the General Command of the Bolivarian Militia at the Cagigal Observatory

o   La Carlota Airbasein Caracas

o   Buk Air Defense System

·       More than 150 U.S. military aircraft were involved in the attacks.

·       Humanitarian Assistance:

o   Oxfam warns of the risk that this intervention could lead to violence against civilians and exacerbate the humanitarian crisis that was already affecting 19.6 million people at the end of 2024.

o   The security situation remains generally calm but with a sharp increase in preventive purchasing of water, food and fuel across multiple regions, rapid price inflation and growing barriers to access, including widespread cash-only transactions in foreign currency.

o   All humanitarian field operations are currently suspended by the European Union and its partners, pending further security verification.

Sources:

·       Venezuela – President Maduro ousted from power (DG ECHO, UN OCHA, media) (ECHO Daily Flash of 5 January 2026)

·       Oxfam condemns the violation of international law in Venezuela and warns of its impact on peace, democracy and human rights

·       Maduro Captured: What Comes Next for Venezuela?

·       US Airstrikes in Venezuela, January 3, 2026

·       UN Secretary-General Twitter Page 

·       Organization of American States Twitter Page

·       CSIS Twitter Page

·       U.S. Naval Institute Twitter Page 

Resources

Secretary-General's remarks to the Security Council - on Venezuela

https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/sg/2026-01-05

Statement by OAS Secretary General Albert R. Ramdin on recent developments in Venezuela

https://www.oas.org/en/media_center/press_release.asp?sCodigo=E-001/26

Global: Amnesty International raises human rights concerns following US’s military action in Venezuela

https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2026/01/amnesty-raises-concerns-following-us-military-action-in-venezuela/