President Donald Trump speaks to House Republican lawmakers during their annual policy retreat, Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo)US Strikes Venezuela News Live Updates: US President Donald Trump reserves the right to use the United States military ‘if necessary’, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Wednesday. “The president, of course, reserves the right to use the United States military if necessary,” she told reporters. When asked if Trump would deploy US troops to safeguard oil workers, Leavitt said that the US president would do what is in the best interest of the American people. “It’s not something he wants to do, diplomacy is always the first option. As you saw he tried that with Nicolas Maduro but unfortunately he was an illegitimate dictator and an unserious person,” she said.
US to keep Venezuelan oil revenue, says Energy Secretary Chris Wright: Days after the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, US Energy Secretary Chris Wright said that Washington should control the sale of oil from the country and the revenue from it. According to him, it is necessary to drive the changes the US wants to see in Venezuela. Wright said he was speaking to American oil companies to learn what conditions would enable them to enter the South American country and added that he wanted to sell Venezuelan oil to US refineries.
Trump says Maduro has ‘killed millions of people’: Trump deposed Venezuelan leader Maduro and called him a “violent guy” as he spoke about the US military’s operation in Venezuela and asserted the American military’s supremacy. Trump, while delivering his remarks to Republican lawmakers gathered for a party retreat at the newly renamed Trump-Kennedy Centre, spoke about the US military’s action in Caracas and how the American military carried out the operation of capturing Maduro. In his scathing attack against Maduro, Trump said, “They’ve been after this guy for years and years and years, and, you know, he’s a violent guy. He gets up there and tries to imitate my dance a little bit; he’s killed millions of people. He’s tortured.” The US president alleged that a “torture facility” exists in Caracas and accused the “radical left” of supporting protests happening in favour of Maduro.
US President Donald Trump is set to meet with Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado next week, likely on Tuesday or Wednesday.
Trump mentioned this during a meeting with oil and gas executives, adding that the relationship with Venezuela's interim leader, Delcy Rodriguez, is "very good" currently. Machado, a Nobel Peace Prize winner, plans to visit Washington and has offered to give Trump her award.
Venezuela released citizens and foreigners from its prisons on Thursday in what a top government official described as a gesture to “seek peace” less than a week after former President Nicolás Maduro was captured by U.S. forces to face federal drug-trafficking charges in New York.
Jorge Rodríguez, brother of acting President Delcy Rodríguez and head of the National Assembly, said a “significant number” of people would be freed, but he was not specific about how many or provide names.
The US Senate has advanced a resolution that would limit Trump’s ability to conduct further attacks against Venezuela, sounding a note of disapproval for the president’s expanding ambitions in the Western Hemisphere. Democrats and five Republicans voted to advance the war powers resolution on a 52-47 vote tally and ensure a later vote for final passage.
Russian authorities have confirmed that three crew members of the oil tanker that was seized by the US military are Indian nationals. The crew of Bella 1, which was later renamed as Marinera, also consisted of 17 Ukrainian citizens, six Georgian citizens, and two Russian citizens. Read the full story here
The US Senate is due to consider a resolution on Thursday that would block President Donald Trump from taking further military action against Venezuela without congressional authorization, and backers said the measure could pass in a close vote.
Days after US forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in a dramatic military raid in Caracas, senators will vote on the latest in a series of war powers measures introduced since the administration ramped up military pressure on the country with attacks on boats off its coast in September.
Republicans have blocked all of the measures, but the last vote was just 49-51, as two senators from Trump's party joined Democrats in backing a resolution in November. Administration officials had told lawmakers at that time that they did not plan regime change or strikes on Venezuelan territory. (Reuters)
US Strikes Venezuela News LIVE Updates: US President Donald Trump said that "only time will tell" how long the United States will maintain oversight of Venezuela in an interview published by the New York Times early on Thursday.
When asked by the Times if it would it be three months, six months, a year or longer, Trump said: "I would say much longer." "We will rebuild it in a very profitable way," Trump said of Venezuela, adding, "we're going to be using oil, and we're going to be taking oil. We're getting oil prices down, and we're going to be giving money to Venezuela, which they desperately need." Trump added the U.S. was "getting along very well" with the interim president Delcy Rodriguez's government in Venezuela right now, according to the Times.
- Reuters
US Strikes Venezuela News LIVE Updates: Days after threatening Colombia with military action, U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday said arrangements were being made for the country’s President Gustavo Petro to visit the White House, following a call between the two leaders. Trump and Petro said they discussed relations between the two countries in their first call since the U.S. president on Sunday said that a U.S. military operation focused on Colombia’s government “sounds good” to him. That threat followed Trump ordering the U.S. capture of the president of neighboring Venezuela, who was flown to the U.S. to face drug and weapons charges.
US Strikes Venezuela News LIVE Updates: An “abhorrent” violation of Latin American sovereignty. An attack committed by “enslavers.” A “spectacle of death” comparable to Nazi Germany’s 1937 carpet bombing of Guernica, Spain. There is perhaps no world leader criticizing the Trump administration’s attack on Venezuela as strongly as left-wing President Gustavo Petro of Colombia, historically Washington's most important ally in the region. For the past 30 years, the U.S. has worked closely with Colombia, the world’s largest producer of cocaine, to arrest drug traffickers, fend off rebel groups and boost economic development in rural areas. But while other officials tread carefully, Colombia's outspoken president has seized on the U.S. capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro to escalate his spiraling war of words with President Donald Trump, who said a U.S. military operation in Colombia “sounds good to me." Answering a protest call issued by Petro, thousands of Colombians gathered in public squares across the country Wednesday “to defend national sovereignty" against Trump's military threats, chanting “Long live free and sovereign Colombia!” and waiting anxiously to hear what they expected would be Petro’s latest scathing salvo in his clash with Trump. Instead, to everyone’s surprise, the Colombian president offered an olive branch to the man who has repeatedly called him a drug kingpin, despite a lack of evidence. “I had one speech prepared for today, but I have to give another one,” Petro told the crowd in Colombia’s capital of Bogotá.
- AP
US Strikes Venezuela News LIVE Updates: US President Donald Trump reserves the right to use the United States military ‘if necessary’, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Wednesday. “The president, of course, reserves the right to use the United States military if necessary,” she told reporters. When asked if Trump would deploy US troops to safeguard oil workers, Leavitt said that the US president would do what is in the best interest of the American people. “It’s not something he wants to do, diplomacy is always the first option. As you saw he tried that with Nicolas Maduro but unfortunately he was an illegitimate dictator and an unserious person,” she said.
.@PressSec: “The President, of course, reserves the right to use the United States military if necessary. It's not something he wants to do. Diplomacy is always the first option. As you saw he tried that with Nicolas Maduro but unfortunately he was an illegitimate dictator and an… pic.twitter.com/nXzdCsTY9R
— Department of State (@StateDept) January 7, 2026
US Strikes Venezuela News LIVE Updates: Days after the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, US Energy Secretary Chris Wright said that Washington should control the sale of oil from the country and the revenue from it. According to him, it is necessary to drive the changes the US wants to see in Venezuela. Wright said he was speaking to American oil companies to learn what conditions would enable them to enter the South American country and added that he wanted to sell Venezuelan oil to US refineries.
US Strikes Venezuela News LIVE Updates: In his search for global supremacy, US President Donald Trump has now exited over 60 global platforms. Days after the takeover of Venezuela and the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, US President Donald Trump has announced that the United States will withdraw from several United Nations entities, claiming they operate contrary to US national interests.
US Strikes Venezuela News LIVE Updates: US President Donald Trump and his advisers are planning an initiative to dominate the Venezuelan oil industry for years to come, and the president told aides he believes his efforts could help lower oil prices to $50 a barrel, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday. A plan under consideration includes the U.S. exerting some control over Venezuela's state-run oil company PDVSA, including acquiring and marketing the bulk of the company's oil production, the report said, citing people familiar with the matter. Reuters could not immediately confirm the report.
- Reuters
The US needs to control Venezuela's oil sales and revenue indefinitely to drive the changes it wants to see in the South American country, Energy Secretary Chris Wright said on Wednesday. The comments reflect the importance of crude oil to President Donald Trump's strategy in Venezuela since US forces ousted the country's leader, Nicolas Maduro, in a raid on the capital Caracas on Saturday.
"We need to have that leverage and that control of those oil sales to drive the changes that simply must happen in Venezuela," Wright said at the Goldman Sachs Energy, CleanTech & Utilities Conference in Miami.
- Reuters
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt on Wednesday said there is a "long term plan" for America's actions in Venezuela and the transport of 30 to 50 million barrels of oil from Caracas to Washington are the "first action you are all seeing".
After the US forces on Wednesday seized Russia-flagged, Venezuela-linked Marinera vessel, which was earlier named Bella 1, in the Atlantic, the White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt during a press briefing said the ship was linked to violations of US sanctions and its seizure was authorised by an order of US court.
After the US Coast Guard seized a Venezuelan-linked vessel Sophia off the Caribbean coast on Wednesday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the ship was carrying out "illicit activities".
Leavitt said it was boarded by the US Coast Guards "without any incident" and that it's a "stateless, sanctioned dark fleet". She added that the coast guard is directing the vessel to the US for "final disposition".
The potential US purchase of Greenland is being actively discussed by US President Donald Trump and his national security team, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Wednesday.
"All options are always on the table for President Trump...the President's first option always has been diplomacy," she told a regular media briefing, Reuters reported.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with reporters on Wednesday at the Capitol Hill and said that America is poised to sell oil which is present in Venezuela and "will sell it in the marketplace at market rates."
Rubio further said the money which will be raised after selling the oil will be handled in order for the US to "control how it is dispersed in a way that benefits the Venezuelan people".
"We have a lot of leverage to move on the stabilisation front," Rubio said, BBC reported.
Images published by the Russian state media purportedly showed helicopters hovering near a ship which is said to Venezuela-linked and Russia-flagged Marinera that has now been seized by the US forces.
❗️ Military forces, presumably American, are attempting to board Russian-flagged civilian tanker 'Marinera' RIGHT NOW — RT source
— RT (@RT_com) January 7, 2026
RT has obtained first exclusive visual confirmation of the boarding attempt https://t.co/lWf62lN7hH pic.twitter.com/rn9xfLmNxi
The UK provided support to the United States in its operation to seize a Russian-flagged oil tanker in the North Atlantic, the Ministry of Defence said on Wednesday.
In a statement, UK Defence Secretary John Healey said, "Today our UK Armed Forces showed skill and professionalism in support of a successful U.S. interception of the vessel Bella 1 while on its way to Russia. This action formed part of global efforts to crack down on sanctions busting. This ship, with a nefarious history, is part of a Russian-Iranian axis of sanctions evasion which is fuelling terrorism, conflict, and misery from the Middle East to Ukraine."
The Russian Transport Ministry has responded to the US seizure of Venezuela-linked, Russia-flagged oil tanker in the Atlantic near Iceland on Wednesday and said, "No state has the right to use force against ships properly registered in the jurisdictions of other states."
The Russian Transport Ministry said, "On December 24, 2025, the Marinera received a temporary permit to sail under the Russian Federation flag, issued in accordance with Russian law and international law."
The statement added, "Today, at approximately 3:00 PM Moscow time, the vessel was boarded by US Navy forces in the high seas outside the territorial waters of any state, and contact with the vessel was lost. In accordance with the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, freedom of navigation applies in high seas waters, and no state has the right to use force against vessels duly registered in the jurisdictions of other states."
US President Donald Trump, has in the meantime, provided his views on NATO in a post on Truth Social and said he “doubted NATO would be there for us if we really needed them,” but insisted “we will always be there for Nato, even if they won’t be there for us.”
Talking about Russia and China, Trump said, "The only nation that China and Russia fear and respect is US."
Reacting to the development of US forces seizing Venezuela-linked oil tanker Marinera near Iceland, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has said, "The blockade of sanctioned and illicit Venezuelan oil remains in FULL EFFECT — anywhere in the world."
The US Coast Guard has seized another Venezuela-linked tanker in international waters in the Caribbean sea on Wednesday, the US Southern Command announced.
The US Southern Command, while informing about the seizure, said "In a pre-dawn action this morning, the Department of War, in coordination with the Department of Homeland Security, apprehended a stateless, sanctioned dark fleet motor tanker without incident."
In a pre-dawn action this morning, the Department of War, in coordination with the Department of Homeland Security, apprehended a stateless, sanctioned dark fleet motor tanker without incident.
— U.S. Southern Command (@Southcom) January 7, 2026
The interdicted vessel, M/T Sophia, was operating in international waters and… pic.twitter.com/JQm9gHprPk
The US European Command, which announced the seizure of the Russian-flagged oil tanker near Iceland, said on Wednesday that the operation to seize the vessel supports US President Donald Trump's "proclamation targeting sanctioned vessels that threaten the security and stability of the Western Hemisphere."
Providing further details about the operation, the US European Command said, "The operation was executed by DHS components with support from Department of War, showcasing a whole-of-government approach to protect the homeland."
The The US European Command on Wednesday said that the US Department of Justice and Homeland Security have "today announced the seizure of the M/V Bella 1 for violations of US sanctions".
In a post on X, the US European Command added, "The vessel was seized in the North Atlantic pursuant to a warrant issued by a U.S. federal court after being tracked by USCGC Munro."
The @TheJusticeDept & @DHSgov, in coordination with the @DeptofWar today announced the seizure of
— U.S. European Command (@US_EUCOM) January 7, 2026
the M/V Bella 1 for violations of U.S. sanctions. The vessel was seized in the North Atlantic pursuant to a warrant issued by a U.S. federal court after being tracked by USCGC Munro. pic.twitter.com/bm5KcCK30X
US forces have moved to seize the Venezuela-linked oil tanker which was flagged by Russia near the Iceland. According to NBC News, "the Department of Homeland Security lead the operation with US military support."
The United States is carrying out an operation to seize the Venezuela-linked oil tanker named Marinera, which was formerly known as Bella 1, a US official has said.
Russia has deployed its submarine and other naval assets in the Atlantic to guard the oil tanker in the North Atlantic in a high-stakes operation.
Russia has deployed a submarine and other naval vessels to escort an empty, ageing oil tanker that has been trying to evade the US blockade near Venezuela, the Wall Street Journal reported citing a US official on Tuesday.
The tanker, formerly known as Bella 1, has been evading interception since the US Coast Guard attempted to board and seize it in December, following Washington's blockade of sanctioned oil shipments to and from Venezuela. Russia has asked the US to stop pursuing the vessel, the Journal said, citing three other US officials.
Iran’s army chief, Maj. Gen. Amir Hatami, has threatened a strong response to what Tehran sees as escalating US and Israeli rhetoric, amid nationwide protests driven by economic hardship and political anger. His remarks come as Iran grapples with a weakened currency, rising prices of basic goods and ongoing demonstrations that began on December 28 and have spread across most provinces, leaving at least 36 people dead. In an effort to ease public anger, the government has doubled monthly cash subsidies to households, but inflation and sanctions continue to strain livelihoods. Officials describe the situation as a “full-fledged economic war,” while protests show no signs of abating despite heightened security warnings, according to the Associated Press reports.
US Strikes Venezuela News LIVE Updates: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday said the capture of Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro by US forces was a "threat" to the survival of democratic nations in the world and showed the "arrogance and audacity of American imperialism". Vijayan referred to the recent capture of Maduro and his wife by US forces while speaking after inaugurating the 4th edition of the Kerala Legislative Assembly International Book Festival (KILBF) here. The CM said it was something "unheard of" in the modern world and showed the arrogance and audacity of American imperialism, which was a challenge to all the nations around the globe. He said that such actions by the US will not end with what happened in Venezuela as American President Donald Trump has "arrogantly" announced that similar steps will take place against Cuba and Greenland as well. "This is a new phase of American imperialism where countries not aligning with the interests of the US are being targeted for destruction," he contended and recommended discussing the issue in the week-long literary festival being held at the Assembly complex here from January 7 to 13.
- PTI
US Strikes Venezuela News LIVE Updates: The White House Tuesday said that US President Donald Trump is looking at options for acquiring Greenland in order to achieve a key foreign policy objective. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, however, maintained the island — a territory of Denmark — is not for sale and a US military attack on Greenland would put an end to the NATO military alliance.
US Strikes Venezuela News LIVE Updates: Venezuela may not be the great prize for foreign oil companies it is being made out to be. And even American petroleum majors are not exactly salivating at the prospect. To crowd in investor interest, US Energy Secretary Chris Wright is set to meet US oil-industry executives on Wednesday to discuss the American administration’s plans to revive Venezuela’s energy sector at the Goldman Sachs Energy Conference in Miami. A follow-up meeting is likely in the White House on Friday, where executives from American oil companies such as Exxon, Chevron and ConocoPhillips are likely to be briefed on the Venezuela opportunity.
US Strikes Venezuela News LIVE Updates: Iran faces a new round of protests challenging the country's theocracy, but it seems like the only thing people there want to talk about is half a world away: Venezuela.
Since the US military seized Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, a longtime ally of Tehran, over the weekend, Iranian state media headlines and officials have condemned the operation. In the streets and even in some official conversations, however, there's a growing question over whether a similar mission could target the Islamic Republic's top officials including the supreme leader, 86-year-old Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
The paranoia feeds into wider worries among Iranians. Many fear that close US ally Israel will target Iran again as it did during the 12-day war it launched against Tehran in June. Israel killed a slew of top military officials and nuclear scientists, and the US bombed Iranian nuclear enrichment sites. Khamenei is believed to have gone into hiding for his protection.
“God bless our leader, we should be careful too," said Saeed Seyyedi, a 57-year-old teacher in Tehran, worried the US could act as it did in Venezuela.
"The US has always been after plots against Iran, especially when issues like oil, Israel are part of the case. In addition, it can be complicated when it is mixed with the Russia-Ukraine war, the Lebanese (group) Hezbollah and drug accusations.” The US long has accused the Iranian-backed Hezbollah of running drug-smuggling operations to fund its operations, including in Latin America, which the group denies.
- AP
US Strikes Venezuela News LIVE Updates: With oil emerging as a central issue in Washington’s push on Caracas, US President Donald Trump on Tuesday said Venezuela would supply between 30 million and 50 million barrels of oil to the United States. With oil trading at roughly $56 a barrel, the transaction could be worth as much as $2.8 billion. Venezuela holds the world’s largest oil reserves but accounts for less than 1% of global production. Trump said the proceeds from the sale would be used “to benefit the people” of both countries.
The White House is scheduled to meet executives from US oil companies Exxon, Chevron and ConocoPhillips on Friday to discuss Venezuela, as the Trump administration seeks to expand the country’s vast but struggling oil sector.
US Strikes Venezuela News LIVE Updates: US President Donald Trump on Tuesday mocked deposed Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro and called him a “violent guy” as he spoke about the US military’s operation in Venezuela and asserted the American military’s supremacy.
Trump, while delivering his remarks to Republican lawmakers gathered for a party retreat at the newly renamed Trump-Kennedy Centre, spoke about the US military’s action in Caracas and how the American military carried out the operation of capturing Maduro.
In his scathing attack against Maduro, Trump said, “They’ve been after this guy for years and years and years, and, you know, he’s a violent guy. He gets up there and tries to imitate my dance a little bit, he’s killed millions of people. He’s tortured.” The US president alleged that a “torture facility” exists in Caracas and accused the “radical left” of supporting protests happening in favour of Maduro.
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