Many buildings were seen on fire, and a column of smoke was visible after multiple explosions were heard in Venezuela's capital, Caracas, on Saturday.
Videos on social media showed buildings on fire across the city. Loud explosions, accompanied by sounds resembling aircraft flyovers, were heard around 2:00 am (local time).
Multiple secondary explosions seen, while flames and smoke emanate from the Port of Caracas in Venezuela. pic.twitter.com/R8OJ4CsdHO
— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) January 3, 2026
Footage which appears to show U.S. Army CH-47G “Chinook” Special Operations Helicopters, likely with the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (SOAR), over the Venezuelan capital of Caracas. pic.twitter.com/60DCRoTeFQ
— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) January 3, 2026
Some reports also claimed that a massive explosion was heard near Higuerote Airport in Miranda in northern Venezuela.
Footage showing a massive explosion earlier at Higuerote Airport in the State of Miranda, Northern Venezuela, with the secondary explosions and fire suggesting a strike against a surface-to-air missile launcher with the Venezuelan Air Force. pic.twitter.com/VlSRMMdgE1
— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) January 3, 2026
The cause and precise locations of the explosions were not immediately clear.
Gustavo Petro, the president of Venezuela's neighbour, Colombia, said that Venezuela has been "attacked".
"Right now they are bombing Caracas. Alert to the whole world, they have attacked Venezuela. They are bombing with missiles," Petro posted on X without naming anyone.
He also called on the United Nations to meet "immediately".
US President Donald Trump's administration reportedly said that it is "aware of reports" of explosions and aircraft over Caracas.
Why Trump Has Targeted Venezuela
Donald Trump, who has deployed a navy task force to the Caribbean, has for weeks threatened ground strikes on drug cartels in the region.
On Monday, he said the United States had hit and destroyed a docking area for alleged Venezuela drug-running boats -- in what was seen as the first land strike of the military campaign to counter narcotics trafficking from Latin America.
US forces have also carried out numerous strikes on boats in both the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean since September, targeting what Washington says are drug smugglers.
On Dec. 30, at the direction of @SecWar Pete Hegseth, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted kinetic strikes against three narco-trafficking vessels traveling as a convoy. These vessels were operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations in international waters. Intelligence… pic.twitter.com/NHRNIzcrFS
— U.S. Southern Command (@Southcom) December 31, 2025
On Dec. 31, at the direction of @SecWar Pete Hegseth, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a lethal kinetic strike on two vessels operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations. Intelligence confirmed the vessels were transiting along known narco-trafficking routes and… pic.twitter.com/4AE5u4cEff
— U.S. Southern Command (@Southcom) January 1, 2026
Trump has accused Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro of heading a drug cartel and said he is cracking down on trafficking.
Maduro has denied any involvement in the narcotics trade, saying Washington is seeking to overthrow him because Venezuela has the largest known reserves of oil on Earth.
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