BREAKING: U.S. Military Operations In Venezuela Are ‘Underway,’ Officials Confirm

Multiple outlets are reporting that President Donald Trump did indeed order a series of air and missile strikes targeting key Venezuelan military installations and government buildings early Saturday morning.

Fox News correspondent Lucas Tomlinson reported, citing U.S. officials, that U.S. military operations against Venezuela are “underway,” suggesting that strikes are ongoing as of 2:57 a.m. Eastern Time. CBS also reported that the strikes were approved by President Donald Trump several days ago.

The U.S. government has yet to provide an official statement on the operations, however.

U.S. military strikes against Venezuela are underway, U.S. officials confirm to Fox News

— Lucas Tomlinson (@LucasFoxNews) January 3, 2026

According to a report from a CNN team on the ground in Venezuela’s capital of Caracas, the first strike was heard around 1:50 a.m. local time. Several military installations around Caracas appear to have been struck, including targets at La Carlota Airport.

Several explosions were also heard at the Fuerte Tiuna Military Base in central/southern Caracas. This installation serves as Venezuela’s primary military headquarters and houses several senior officials.

Additional reports from Venezuelan sources — via CBS News and CNN — mention additional impacts in the states of Miranda, Aragua, and La Guaira. Widespread power and communications outages were also reported in Caracas and elsewhere.

Strikes against the 4F Barracks in the mountains overlooking Venezuela’s capital of Caracas, which houses a museum and the Mausoleum of Venezuelan politician, revolutionary, and military officer Hugo Chávez. pic.twitter.com/xJwiM6EN6Q

— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) January 3, 2026

As of 3:19 a.m. Eastern Time, there are no confirmed reports of U.S. boots on the ground. Videos circulating online appeared to show several U.S. CH-47 Chinook helicopters flying under the city, though details on their mission have not been disclosed.

Dramatic footage overlooking a Venezuelan military airbase shows U.S. attack helicopters engaging targets on the ground. Several videos have surfaced of attack helicopters in action, suggesting that the strikes may have utilized a wide variety of weapons and military assets.

Footage of a U.S. helicopter firing rockets at a ground target in Caracas, Venezuela tonight. pic.twitter.com/5F81gePPin

— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) January 3, 2026

Venezuela’s government accused the U.S. of carrying out a “very serious grave military aggression,” claiming that the operations were geared towards extracting the nation’s resources. The Venezuelan government further called on the United Nations to convene a security council meeting immediately.

President Nicolás Maduro has signed a state of emergency and ordered all national defense plans to be implemented “at the appropriate time and under the appropriate circumstances,” a statement from the government read.

The strikes come after weeks of escalating tensions between the U.S. and the Maduro regime. Several maritime strikes have been launched against drug-trafficking vessels with links to the regime, while the U.S. has also commissioned a significant military buildup in the region.

President Donald Trump had repeatedly warned that land-based strikes would intensify if Maduro refused to leave office. The Venezuelan dictator has repeatedly refused calls to step down following what the international community has largely condemned as a rigged election in 2024, which was met with a fierce crackdown on political dissent.

This is a developing story.