News Live

WSJ: Leading investors from the US energy and defense sectors are planning a business trip to Venezuela as early as March. They plan to meet with the "new government."

Delcy Rodríguez begins her statement following the meeting of the National Defense Council. She demands the release of Maduro and Cilia Flores. She insists that Maduro is the president of Venezuela.

The streets of Caracas were nearly deserted this morning following the arrest of Maduro. As the hours passed, citizens began to venture out to stock up on food, medicine, and gasoline, amidst long lines, a military presence in key areas, and an atmosphere of tension and uncertainty.

Lavrov discussed the situation in Venezuela with the Belarusian Foreign Minister. They emphasized the need to immediately release Maduro and reinstate him as head of state, the Russian Foreign Ministry reported.

Macron: We want Edmundo González to take charge of this transitional phase in Venezuela as soon as possible. The transfer of power in Venezuela must be peaceful and democratic.

Vladimir Padrino López leaves after meeting with Delcy Rodríguez at the vice presidency

"Freedom, freedom," Venezuelans celebrate in Lima after Maduro's arrest by the U.S.

Trump rules out Maria Corina as leader of the country

Trump: I think Cuba will be something we end up talking about because Cuba is a failing nation right now. It’s very similar. Rubio: If I was in the government, I would be concerned

Donald Trump: "The Vice President [Delcy] had a long conversation with Marco Rubio and said, 'I'll do whatever you ask.' I think she had no choice."

Trump says Rubio has spoken to Venezuelan VP to make that country 'great again,' no word from Venezuelan government

Trump on Colombia’s President: He has factories where he makes cocaine. He does have to watch his ass

Trump says US Forces received a ‘lot of opposition’ whilst raiding Maduros compound and Maduro was unable to get into his safe room

“It could’ve happened,” Trump said of possibility of killing Maduro during raid

Donald Trump says Marco Rubio is talking to those who will be in charge of the transition in Venezuela

President Trump: “We are not afraid of boots on the ground [in Venezuela]”

.@POTUS: "We're going to make sure it's run properly. We're going to rebuild the oil infrastructure. We're going to make sure the people that were forced out of Venezuela by this thug are also taken care of."

US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff: "It was a daring operation, an extraction so precise that it involved more than 150 aircraft"

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff: The CIA was involved. This mission was meticulously planned. A daring operation. It required the utmost precision. A precise extraction. Failure is never an option for the United States military.

“Leaders in Venezuela should understand what happened to Maduro can happen to them” - Trump

Trump: The Monroe Doctrine is a big deal, but we superseded it by a lot — by a real lot. Now they call it the “Donroe Doctrine.” I don’t know

Trump: "They took all of our property. It was our property. We built it. And we never had a president that decided to do anything about it. Instead, they fought wars that were 10,000 miles away."

Trump: In addition, Venezuela unilaterally seized and sold American oil, American assets and American platforms, costing us billions and billions of dollars. We built Venezuela oil industry. And the socialist regime stole it us during those previous administrations. And they stole it through force

Trump: We are prepared to launch a second attack if necessary.

"We want peace, freedom, and justice for the people of Venezuela. We cannot risk letting someone take control of Venezuela if they do not have the best interests of Venezuelans at heart," the president Trump stated at a press conference.

Trump: US is going to run Venezuela and oversee a transition to a new government

Trump: We are going to run the country until such time as we can do a safe proper transition

Trump: No American personnel were killed during the US operation in Venezuela

PRESIDENT TRUMP is briefing reporters on the operation to extract Nicolas Maduro. “They knew we were coming… but were completely overwhelmed”. With him: CIA director Ratcliffe; Defense Sec Hegseth; Sec of State Rubio; General Caine; Also in room: Sen Moreno;FBI Patel; Steve Witkoff

Trump speaks out after launching a "large-scale attack" on Venezuela and confirming the capture of Maduro

President Trump: I used overwhelming land, sea, and air force in the operation in the Venezuelan capital, and the level of violence is something the world hasn't seen since World War II.

Trump: The military operation aimed to bring Maduro to justice

Petro says he is not "worried" about what Maduro might say about him in the United States

Trump posted a photo: Nicolas Maduro on board the USS Iwo Jima.

Venezuela's opposition figure Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia says 'decisive hours' ahead

The CIA had a source within the Venezuelan government that provided the U.S. spy agency with information on Maduro’s movements and location, leading to the U.S. Special Operations raid that captured him and his wife. Per @wstrobel

Argentine government celebrates the capture of Maduro

Miranda: Chavista groups took to the streets of Caracas to defend the country against new attacks by the US

Colombia prepares economic and social emergency decree due to US attack on Venezuela

Newly unsealed indictment against Maduro, per @SDNYnews

Jim Himes, ranking Democrat on House Intel: "Maduro is an illegitimate ruler, but I have seen no evidence that his presidency poses a threat that would justify military action without Congressional authorization, nor have I heard a strategy for the day after and how we will prevent Venezuela from descending into chaos. Secretary Rubio repeatedly denied to Congress that the Administration intended to force regime change in Venezuela. The Administration must immediately brief Congress on its plan to ensure stability in the region and its legal justification for this decision."

.@POTUS says Maduro and his wife were first taken to the USS Iwo Jima: "They're on a ship, and they'll be heading into New York. They went by helicopter on a nice flight. I'm sure they loved it

President Trump tells Fox & Friends "I think we had nobody killed" in the operation to capture Maduro, but "a couple of persons were hit." A helicopter was hit "pretty hard," Trump added

Trump on Fox News regarding Maduro's capture: "We gave him a chance to reach an agreement. He blew it. What he did to us was very serious. Sending us criminals and drugs is unforgivable."

Trump on Fox News regarding the capture of Maduro: "We did it because we're at war. He was in a house that was a fortress. It had steel doors. He was ambushed so quickly that he didn't have a chance to take cover."

Donald Trump on Fox News: "We were going to do this four days ago, but the weather wasn't perfect. The weather had to be perfect. It was very heavily guarded. It's like a fortress. But we didn't lose a single man."

Yván Gil demands Trump return Maduro "immediately": "We need the US to take responsibility for his physical safety"

VP JD Vance: The president offered multiple off ramps, but was very clear throughout this process: the drug trafficking must stop, and the stolen oil must be returned to the United States. Maduro is the newest person to find out that President Trump means what he says

CNN, citing a source: The Trump administration justified Maduro's arrest to Congress by stating that President Trump is the commander-in-chief of the armed forces.

Puerto Rico's governor supports Donald Trump's attacks to capture Nicolas Maduro and Cilia Flores

Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yván Gil: This has to stop immediately; this action cannot exist under international law.

Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yván Gil: We have been victims of a cowardly attack

Lula after the US attack: "The bombings in Venezuelan territory and the capture of its president have crossed an unacceptable line"

Berlin expresses its concern about the situation in Venezuela, which it is watching very closely.

Metrics show a loss of internet connectivity in parts of Caracas, Venezuela, corresponding to power cuts during the US military operation which landed strikes on the capital and captured and removed President Maduro from the country

US Attorney General Pam Bondi says deposed Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro and wife Cilia Flores will face charges after having been indicted in the southern district of New York

PDVSA announced that its facilities were not damaged by the US attacks and assured that operations are proceeding normally.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said his country was not involved in the United States' strikes on Venezuela and that he wanted to speak with U.S. President Donald Trump and find out the full facts of what had happened. "I want to establish the facts first. I want to speak to President Trump. I want to speak to allies. I can be absolutely clear that we were not involved ... and I always say and believe we should all uphold international law," he said in a statement to British broadcasters.

Mexico condemns military intervention in Venezuela

Aragua. Governor Joana Sánchez addressed the nation in a video recorded at the 42nd Brigade military base in Maracay, accompanied by mayors and regional officials. In her message, she demanded proof of life from President Maduro and stated that the community is mobilized in rejection of the alleged attacks by the United States against Venezuelan territory. She also affirmed that calm prevails throughout the state of Aragua.

Tarek William Saab asserted that Maduro was kidnapped by the US and demanded his release.

The Russian Foreign Ministry: We are extremely concerned by reports of Venezuelan President Maduro and his wife being forcibly removed from the country during today's US acts of aggression.

The European Union calls for "restraint" in the crisis between Venezuela and the US after speaking with Marco Rubio

Reuters, citing officials at Venezuela's state oil company: Production and refining operations are proceeding normally.

Lukashenka categorically condemns the act of "American aggression against Venezuela", says the press secretary of the Belarusian president.

As dawn breaks in Caracas, Venezuela, and the extent of the damage following US bombings at various military sites begins to be assessed, arrests of civilians are reported in some areas of the capital.

Diosdado Cabello: The country is completely calm. What they attempted with bombs and missiles, they only partially achieved

6:37 am. Diosdado Cabello: "What they wanted with the bombs and missiles, they partially achieved."

Senator Mike Lee, after speaking by phone with Marco Rubio: - Maduro was arrested by the US and the bombings were used to protect and defend those who carried out the arrest warrant

Russian Foreign Ministry Statement on "US Armed Aggression Against Venezuela": This morning, the United States committed an act of armed aggression against Venezuela. This is deeply concerning and condemnable. We support the statement by the Venezuelan authorities and the leaders of Latin American countries calling for an immediate meeting of the UN Security Council.

Delcy Rodriguez says on VTV "that she does not know the whereabouts of Maduro and Cilia Flores."

Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez demanded proof of life from the United States government for Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores.

@CBSNews: Venezuela's Maduro was captured by Delta Force, the US military's elite special mission unit

Gustavo Petro, the president of Colombia, announced that his country will deploy security forces and aid workers to the border with Venezuela "in case of a mass influx of refugees." "The Colombian Embassy in Venezuela is actively responding to calls for assistance from Colombians in Venezuela," he wrote on his Twitter account.

@realDonaldTrump: "The United States has successfully conducted a large-scale attack against Venezuela and its leader, President Maduro, who was captured and flown out of the country along with his wife. This operation was conducted in collaboration with U.S. law enforcement. More details will be provided soon. A press conference will be held today at 11:00 a.m. at Mar-a-Lago. Thank you for your attention. President Donald J. Trump"

Defense Minister Padrino López, speaking from the Maduro regime, reports: - He reports a US bombing in Caracas, La Guaira, and Aragua. - He accuses the US of being responsible.

Venezuela's Vice President Delcy Rodriguez is safe, a person close to the Venezuelan government tells the WSJ. There is still no immediate information on the whereabouts of President Nicolas Maduro

U.S. Embassy in Caracas issued a "security alert" tonight confirming it is aware of explosions in Venezuela, and asked US citizens there to shelter in place

AFP: Iranian Foreign Ministry condemns "US military attack" on Venezuela

The US Embassy in Bogotá recommended that its citizens in Venezuela seek refuge.

Major diversions of civil flights away from San Juan in Puerto Rico, as U.S. forces likely use the island to stage strikes on Venezuela

The Senate Armed Services Committee was not notified ahead of any potential military action taken tonight in Venezuela, a source familiar says

The New York Times says they are currently unsure where Maduro is at the moment but that at least some of the people in his inner circle appear to be safe

Flights at Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport (@AeropuertoSJU) are currently suspended by order of the control tower; Delta flight 1798, which was waiting to take off for NYC, returned to the gate.

Cuba's @DiazCanelB: "Cuba denounces and demands a reaction from the international community against the criminal US attack on Venezuela. Our Zone of Peace is being brutally assaulted. State terrorism against the brave Venezuelan people and against Our America. Homeland or Death. We will overcome."

By 3:30 a.m. this Saturday, January 3rd, residents of the areas in Venezuela that had heard explosions and detonations reported that the noise had stopped, while flames could be seen from various points in Caracas.

Maduro orders deployment of the Command for the Comprehensive Defense of the Nation. "Venezuela reserves the right to exercise legitimate self-defense to protect its people, its territory, and its independence."

The White House, through a spokesperson, claims that Donald Trump gave the order early this morning to attack several military targets in Venezuela.

Venezuelan President Maduro has declared a state of emergency and ordered the implementation of all national defense contingencies, in response to tonight's military operation against Venezuela by the United States

Maduro denounces "imperialist" aggression and activates the entire Armed Forces

Statement from the Government of Venezuela following attacks in Caracas and other cities attributed to the United States Government

Statement by the government of Venezuela: "Such aggression threatens international peace and stability, specifically in Latin America and the Caribbean, and seriously endangers the lives of millions of people."

Statement by Venezuelan government: "This act constitutes a flagrant violation of the Charter of the United Nations, especially Articles 1 and 2, which enshrine respect for sovereignty, the legal equality of States and the prohibition of the use of force."

The Venezuelan government denounced before the international community a "very serious" military aggression, which it attributes to the United States government, against Venezuelan territory and its people. According to the official statement, the attacks affected civilian and military locations in the city of Caracas, as well as areas in the states of Miranda, Aragua, and La Guaira.

The Maduro regime declares itself in permanent mobilization and announces that the Decree of Internal Commotion is being implemented.

.@CBSNews: President Trump ordered strikes on sites inside Venezuela including military facilities, U.S. officials said, as the administration early Saturday ratcheted up its campaign against the regime of President Nicolás Maduro

Military vehicles have been reported in areas near Miraflores Palace in Caracas, following explosions in the capital early Saturday morning.

USMC and USAF tanker assets up over the Caribbean, supporting US airstrikes on Venezuela

The moment the La Carlota air base in Caracas was bombed occurred at 1:58am

Local media channel in Caracas are reporting that airstrikes have targeted the home of Venezuela’s Minister of Defense, Vladimir Padrino López