. News Analysis
By Ramesh Bhan
New Delhi, Jan 3 (.) The pre-dawn airstrikes by US in Venezuelan capital Caracas on Saturday seem part of a wider strategy and were expected if not anticipated.
Multiple explosions rocked the capital of Venezuela, the South American country having the largest oil reserves in the world, early Saturday. Smoke was seen billowing out near the military zone of Fort Tiuna. Low flying US aircraft created a sonic boom causing panic among people. South Caracas had a total blackout.
Unconfirmed reports say US had ‘’captured’ Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. The Guardian, BBC, Al Jazeera, quoting the US President, said Maduro had been captured along with his wife and flown out of the country. Venezuela has not confirmed so far.
US confirmed that President Donald Trump had ordered strikes on sites inside Venezuela, including military facilities. The Venezuelan government denounced these as “very serious military aggression.” The Venezuelan President declared a national emergency and called for mobilization of Defence forces against the “imperialist aggression”.
The air strikes follow months of military buildup under ‘Operation Southern Spear’ by the US which had positioned an armada of warships in the Caribbean. The US justified the air strikes as part of a campaign against drug trafficking, accusing Maduro of leading a “narco-terrorist” organization–the Cartel of the Suns.
However, Maduro had in an interview on Friday dismissed the allegations and compared them with false justification for armed aggression. “Since they can’t accuse us of having nuclear missiles, they invented an accusation that the United States knows is completely false…”
Maduro has also assured that Venezuela is prepared to receive US investment and supply oil under flexible conditions. He had also affirmed that his Government is willing to establish diplomatic agreements if US acts rationally.
The US allegations against Maduro have a striking parallel with the 1989 invasion of another Latin American country, Panama, to depose its leader Manuel Antonio Noriega. In both cases the US, to justify its military action, accused the Latin American leader of heading a narco-State.
The Venezuela attack is clearly a replay of the 1989 attack on Panama on similar grounds of the leader being allegedly involved in narco-terrorism.
A comparison between Panama’s Noriega (1989) and Venezuela’s Maduro (2026): Noriega–US allegation: working with the Medellín Cartel. Maduro– Leading the Cartel of the Suns
U.S. Bounty on Noriega was 1 million USD and on Maduro 50 million USD.

Military Action against Noriega was called “Operation Just Cause” (Invasion) “Operation Southern Spear” (military strikes) on Maduro.
Earlier in October 2025 US had shot down negotiations mediated by Qatar after Venezuela’s proposals for a transition were rejected. The US had intensified naval blockade and seized tankers that were transporting sanctioned Venezuelan oil.
The US alleges that Maduro leads ‘Cártel de los Soles’, a group of Venezuelan officials who allegedly use cocaine as a “weapon” to flood the US. The US has seized over 700 million USD in assets and documented nearly 7 tons of cocaine directly linked to Maduro’s inner circle. Venezuelan government describe the allegations as “imperialist inventions” designed to facilitate regime change.
An assessment by the National Intelligence Council of the US had in 2025 concluded that there was no evidence of direct coordination between senior Maduro leaders and the notorious Tren de Aragua gang, contradicting Trump Administration’s claims.
The real story behind US actions in Venezuela seems strategic goals rather than a single motive. While drug trafficking is the most cited reason, they are part of a broader “maximum pressure” campaign aimed at forced regime change and exercising US influence in the Western Hemisphere.
The main aim seemed removal of Maduro government to install a U.S.-friendly administration.
Removing Maduro is also seen as a way to weaken the influence of Russia, China and Iran in Latin America-Venezuela’s economic and military allies.
It is also aimed at controlling Oil and Minerals. Venezuela holds the world’s largest proven oil reserves–an estimated 303–304 billion barrels of oil, more than any other nation, including Saudi Arabia.
The “Narco-Terrorism” narrative is just a façade.
. RB 1756