Multiple early morning explosions rock Venezuela’s Caracas amid Trump’s threats

Venezuela government alleges US of grabbing oil, minerals

Venezuela’s government alleged that the United States is seeking to take control of its oil and mineral wealth. Officials said attacks were reported in Caracas as well as the states of Miranda, Aragua and La Guaira, as per Reuters. The Venezuela government has accused the US of attacking civilian and military installations in multiple states.

It comes after US President Donald Trump repeated promised land operations in Venezuela, amid efforts to pressure President Nicolas Maduro to leave office, including expanded sanctions, a ramped-up US military presence in the region.

Following the explosion, Colombian President Gustavo Petro said Caracas was being bombed with missiles, calling it an attack on Venezuela and urging the OAS and the United Nations to convene immediately to address the situation.

En este momento bombardean Caracas. Alerta atodo el mundo han atacado a Venezuela

Bombardean con misiles.

Debe reunirse la OEA y la ONU de inmediato.

— Gustavo Petro (@petrogustavo) January 3, 2026

On Friday, Venezuela said it was open to negotiating an agreement with the United States to combat drug trafficking.

This comes as the US military has been targeting, in recent days, including more than two dozen strikes on vessels allegedly involved in trafficking drugs in the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea, as reported by Reuters.  

Reports now of explosions on Isla Margarita, Venezuela’s largest island in the Southern Caribbean. pic.twitter.com/rICmrFmYt3

— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) January 3, 2026

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Trump administration aware of explosions, says CBS journalist

The Trump administration is aware of reports of explosions and aircraft over Venezuela’s capital, Caracas, early on Saturday, CBS journalist Jennifer Jacobs said.

The White House and the Pentagon did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Maduro accuses US of regime-change bid

The South American country’s President Nicolás Maduro also said in a pretaped interview aired Thursday that the US wants to force a government change in Venezuela and gain access to its vast oil reserves through the monthslong pressure campaign that began with a massive military deployment to the Caribbean Sea in August. 

On Friday, Venezuela said it was open to negotiating an agreement with the United States to combat drug trafficking. The South American country’s President Nicolás Maduro also said in a pretaped interview aired Thursday that the US wants to force a government change in Venezuela and gain access to its vast oil reserves through the monthslong pressure campaign that began with a massive military deployment to the Caribbean Sea in August.

It was not immediately clear what was behind the explosions. The Pentagon and White House didn’t immediately respond to messages seeking comment.Maduro has been charged with narco-terrorism in the United States. The CIA was behind a drone strike last week at a docking area believed to have been used by Venezuelan drug cartels in what was the first known direct operation on Venezuelan soil since the US began strikes on boats in September. US President Donald Trump for months had threatened that he could soon order strikes on targets on Venezuelan land.