Venezuela News highlights | Attorney General announces panel to investigate deaths in US action
Venezuela News highlights: Venezuelan Attorney General Tarek Saab on Tuesday called for the US judge overseeing a narcoterrorism case against deposed President Nicolas Maduro to recognise what he said was a lack of US jurisdiction and Maduro's immunity from prosecution as a head of state.
Venezuela News highlights: Venezuela's captured leader, Nicolas Maduro made his first public appearance since his capture from Caracas at a courthouse in New York on Monday. At the hearing, both Maduro and his wife denied the chagres against them, as he further stated that the United States had kidnapped him and his wife....Read More
On the other hand, Maduro's successor, Delcy Rodriguez, has signalled her willingness to cooperate with the US after she was sworn in earlier as the president. Shortly after her oath taking, shots were fired near the Venezuelan presidential palace.
Furthermore, opposition leader Maria Machado, while speaking to FOX news, has vowed to come back home. While speaking on ‘Hannity’, the Venezuelan leader rejected the Rodriguez presidency and called for fresh elections in the South American nation.
Venezuelan Attorney General Tarek Saab on Tuesday called for the US judge overseeing a narcoterrorism case against deposed President Nicolas Maduro to recognise what he said was a lack of US jurisdiction and Maduro's immunity from prosecution as a head of state.
US to ‘run’ Venezuela after Maduro capture
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro was captured along with his wife by the US forces on Saturday and was brought to New York City, where he will face criminal charges. US President Donald Trump announced that till a power transition happens in the South American nation, the US will “run” Venezuela.
“We're going to run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper, and judicious transition," he said.
In the absence of Maduro, Venezuela's Supreme Court ordered the country's Vice President, Delcy Rodríguez, to serve as the acting president. The ruling said the court would further deliberate to “determine the applicable legal framework to guarantee the continuity of the State, the administration of government, and the defence of sovereignty in the face of the forced absence of the President of the Republic,” reported news agency Reuters.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro said Monday he would "take up arms" in the face of threats from Trump. Petro, a former guerrilla who has for months been the target of insults and threats from Trump, said on X: "I swore not to touch a weapon again... but for the homeland I will take up arms again."
US faces heat over operation in Venezuela
Several nations across the world, including China, Russia, and others, condemned the US military operation in Venezuela, which happened on Saturday and expressed support for Venezuela.
China said that it is “deeply shocked and strongly condemns the use of force by the US against a sovereign country and the use of force against the president of a country”
Russia's foreign ministry called US' action “an act of armed aggression against Venezuela" which is “deeply concerning and condemnable”.
“In the current situation, it is important, first and foremost, to prevent further escalation and to focus on finding a way out of the situation through dialogue,” said Russia's foreign ministry.
Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said, "The bombings on Venezuelan territory and the capture of its president cross an unacceptable line. These acts represent a grave affront to Venezuela's sovereignty and yet another extremely dangerous precedent for the entire international community."
How India reacted
Reacting to the US strikes on Venezuela, India expressed “deep concern” over the action and called on all parties to address issues peacefully through dialogue to ensure stability in the region.
“India reaffirms its support to the well-being and safety of the people of Venezuela. We call upon all concerned to address issues peacefully through dialogue, ensuring peace and stability of the region,” read the statement by India's external affairs ministry.
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- 6 Jan 2026, 10:47:35 PM IST
Venezuela News LIVE: This blog has now ended
Venezuela News LIVE: This blog has now ended and will not be updated.
- 6 Jan 2026, 10:15:30 PM IST
Venezuela News LIVE: US action ‘not regime change operation’, Speaker Johnson says
US House Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters he doesn't expect the United States to deploy troops to Venezuela, emphasizing that US actions there are “not a regime change” operation.
- 6 Jan 2026, 09:25:57 PM IST
Venezuela News LIVE: Attorney general calls for US judge to recognize Maduro's immunity
Venezuelan Attorney General Tarek Saab on Tuesday called for the U.S. judge overseeing a narcoterrorism case against deposed President Nicolas Maduro to recognise what he said was a lack of US jurisdiction and Maduro's immunity from prosecution as a head of state.
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- 6 Jan 2026, 09:24:33 PM IST
Venezuela News LIVE: AG says three prosecutors will investigate deaths which took place during the US military action
Venezuelan Attorney General Tarek Saab said on Tuesday that three prosecutors will investigate deaths which took place during the U.S. military action that removed Nicolas Maduro from office over the weekend, Reuters reported.
- 6 Jan 2026, 08:18:48 PM IST
Venezuela News LIVE: Tucker Carlson says America behaving ‘like an Empire’
Conservative commentator Tucker Carlson has offered some criticism of Donald Trump’s Venezuela policy without going all-out in condemning it.
Carlson said in a newsletter that Trump appears to be coercing interim Venezuelan President Rodriguez to take “pro-US actions if she wants to avoid a similar fate to Nicolas Maduro”.
“This could be what Donald Trump meant when he said the United States will ‘run’ Venezuela,” Carlson wrote.
“Rather than manage the country on a day-to-day basis, Washington will likely attempt to pull its strings from afar, effectively ruling it with the implied threat of further military action. If that strikes you as the behaviour of an empire, you are correct.”
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- 6 Jan 2026, 07:59:56 PM IST
Venezuela News LIVE: Trump administration setting up meeting with US oil companies
The administration of President Donald Trump is planning to meet with executives from US oil companies later this week to discuss boosting Venezuelan oil production after U.S. forces ousted its leader, Nicolas Maduro, Reuters reported, quoting a source familiar with the matter.
The meetings are crucial to the administration's hopes of persuading top US oil companies to return to the South American nation, nearly two decades after its government took control of US-led energy operations there.
- 6 Jan 2026, 07:10:41 PM IST
Venezuela News LIVE: Marco Rubio thanks news outlets
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio credited news organisations that had learned in advance about Saturday’s strike that led to the ‘capture’ of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro with not putting the mission in jeopardy by publicly reporting on it before it happened.
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- 6 Jan 2026, 06:48:25 PM IST
Venezuela News LIVE: Why Delcy Rodriguez is good for oil industry?
As an oil minister herself, Delcy Rodríguez has long been the go-to contact for senior executives, whom she has impressed by navigating Venezuela’s industry through international sanctions, economic pressures, and internal mismanagement. Her loyalty to the Maduro regime notwithstanding, she’d be best positioned to shepherd through the US plan to restore Venezuela to its glory days as an oil gusher, argued executives and lobbyists.
(Bloomberg) - 6 Jan 2026, 06:02:29 PM IST
US-Venezuela tension LIVE: Maria Corina Machado's organisation demands release of political prisoners
Opposition leader Maria Corina Machado’s movement has demanded the release of all political prisoners after the US ‘capture’ of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro.
“Those who unjustly hold the civilian and military political prisoners should free them immediately,” the Vente Venezuela movement said of political detainees, whom a leading local rights group puts at 863.
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- 6 Jan 2026, 05:51:26 PM IST
US-Venezuela tension LIVE: What happens next?
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Sunday that Washington is not at war with Venezuela, while on the same day, President Donald Trump told reporters that he might order a second strike if Venezuela does not cooperate with the US to clamp down on drug trafficking and open up its oil industry.
In the meantime, Nicolas Maduro’s deputy, Delcy Rodriguez, who was sworn in as Venezuela’s interim president on Monday, has expressed eagerness to collaborate with the US.
- 6 Jan 2026, 05:43:33 PM IST
US-Venezuela tension LIVE: Democrats criticise administration briefing
The Donald Trump administration's action in Venezuela has faced criticism from Democratic leadership, with New York Senator Chuck Schumer saying that, while extensive, the briefing from the government left him with more questions than answers.
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- 6 Jan 2026, 04:48:31 PM IST
US-Venezuela tension LIVE: A recap of what has happened since Maduro's court appearance
Venezuelan opposition figure Maria Corina Machado promised to return home “as soon as possible” and slammed the interim president in Caracas. She also said she had not spoken to President Donald Trump since October.
The National Union of Press Workers of Venezuela (SNTP) said more than a dozen journalists and media workers were arrested on Monday while covering events in the Venezuelan capital, including a march in support of Nicolas Maduro.
Americans are evenly split in their support for the US military operation that led to the ‘capture’ of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, an opinion poll suggested.
China’s Foreign Ministry reiterated its stance on US action in Venezuela, saying it is willing to work with other countries to safeguard the authority of international law.
The United Nations rights office voiced deep concern over the brazen US operation in Venezuela, warning that it clearly “undermined a fundamental principle of international law”.
- 6 Jan 2026, 04:25:41 PM IST
US-Venezuela tension LIVE: ‘Simply treason’, Colombian President tells X user; accuses Washington of ‘colonial ambitions’
Colombian President Gustavo Petro said that ‘believing’ innocent Colombian people should die if Donald Trump's threats to the country become reality was ‘simply treason against the Homeland’.
“If you believe that an innocent Colombian woman, elderly Venezuelan women and young soldiers who were fulfilling their duty should have died, then you will think the same about the Colombian people if Trump's threat becomes a reality. That is simply treason against the Homeland,” Petro said on X, while accusing the US of colonialist ambitions.
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- 6 Jan 2026, 04:12:10 PM IST
US-Venezuela tension LIVE: House speaker Mike Johnson defends Maduro ouster
US House Speaker Mike Johnson defended the legality of the operation in Venezuela and the lack of prior notice to Congress, which constitutionally has the authority to declare war.
“We are not at war. We do not have US armed forces in Venezuela, and we are not occupying that country,” Johnson said.
“We don’t expect troops on the ground. We don’t expect direct involvement in any other way, beyond just coercing the new – the interim – government.”
- 6 Jan 2026, 04:02:53 PM IST
US-Venezuela tension LIVE: Maduro capture 'undermined international law’, UN rights office says
The United Nations rights office has voiced deep concern over the dramatic US operation in Venezuela, warning that it clearly “undermined a fundamental principle of international law”.
“States must not threaten or use force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state,” Ravina Shamdasani, spokeswoman for the office, told reporters in Geneva.
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- 6 Jan 2026, 03:34:19 PM IST
US-Venezuela tension LIVE: Mike Johnson backs elections in Venezuela
US House Speaker Mike Johnson said on Monday that Venezuela should hold elections soon, after Secretary of State Marco Rubio called voting premature following the abduction of President Nicolas Maduro.
Speaking to reporters after a briefing with lawmakers from Rubio and Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth, Johnson added that he did not expect the United States to send troops to Venezuela, a possibility that Trump had refused to rule out publicly.
“I expect that there will be an election called in Venezuela,” said Johnson, the top member of Trump’s Republican Party in Congress.
“Some of these things are still being determined, of course, but it should happen in short order. And I think it will need to be, so that their economy can remain stabilised and the country can remain stabilised,” he said.
- 6 Jan 2026, 03:26:08 PM IST
US-Venezuela tension LIVE: Nicolas Maduro's son backs Delcy Rodriguez
Nicolás Maduro’s son said he would “unconditionally support” Delcy Rodríguez, who has been declared acting president of Venezuela after his father was captured by the US and flown out of the country.
Nicolás Maduro Guerra’s comments mark his first public backing of Rodríguez, whom President Donald Trump has said would work with Washington to “make Venezuela great again.” Maduro Guerra spoke during the installation of Venezuela’s National Assembly in Caracas on Monday.
“To you, Delcy, my unconditional support. Count on me and my family,” Maduro Guerra said, after tearfully describing what he called difficult hours for his family.
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- 6 Jan 2026, 03:22:38 PM IST
US-Venezuela tension LIVE: Colombia braces for Venezuelan refugees
Colombia is bracing for a potential refugee crisis following US strikes in Venezuela and the political turmoil resulting in the removal of Nicolas Maduro.
Colombian Defence Minister Pedro Sanchez announced on Sunday that he was deploying 30,000 soldiers to the border with Venezuela to bolster security, and the country has also implemented emergency measures to support refugees.
- 6 Jan 2026, 02:56:16 PM IST
US-Venezuela tension LIVE: China ‘ready to defend peace’ in Latin America
China’s Foreign Ministry has reiterated its stance on US action in Venezuela, saying it is willing to work with other countries to safeguard the authority of international law.
“We stand ready to work with regional countries to defend the status of peace in Latin America and the Caribbean,” the ministry said.
(Al Jazeera)
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- 6 Jan 2026, 02:50:24 PM IST
US-Venezuela tension LIVE: Why was the gunfire heard in Caracas on Monday night?
According to a CNN report, discussions between paramilitary groups linked to Nicolas Maduro indicate the gunfire was related to confusion between different security groups operating near the Miraflores presidential palace. A member of one of these groups can be heard calling for backup and that “several shots were heard.” Later, the speaker said that a drone flying in the area was fired upon by members of the Miraflores Police and palace security.
- 6 Jan 2026, 02:25:08 PM IST
US-Venezuela tension LIVE: When is the next hearing in the Nicolas Maduro case
The next hearing is scheduled for March 17, CNN reported. Neither Nicolas Maduro nor his wife Cilia Flores are immediately seeking bail or release.
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- 6 Jan 2026, 01:42:40 PM IST
US-Venezuela tension LIVE: UN official condemns US action in Venezuela
US-Venezuela tension LIVE: Volker Türk, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, has condemned US action in Venezuela. Taking to X on Tuesday, the UN official wrote - “The U.S. military operation in Venezuela undermines a fundamental principle of international law: States must not use force to pursue their territorial claims or political demands.”
- 6 Jan 2026, 01:28:28 PM IST
US-Venezuela tension LIVE: Who is Delcy Rodriguez, the interim president of Venezuela?
US-Venezuela tension LIVE: Venezuela’s parliament swore in Delcy Rodriguez as interim president on Monday, two days after US forces detained her predecessor Nicolas Maduro to face trial in New York.
Venezuela’s Supreme Court had on Saturday directed Delcy Rodriguez to take over the presidency “in an acting capacity”.
Rodriguez served as Venezuela’s minister of communication and information from 2013 to 2014. She later held the post of foreign minister from 2014 to 2017.
In August 2024, Maduro assigned the oil ministry to Rodriguez, placing her in charge of handling increasing US sanctions on Venezuela’s key industry, Reuters reported. She has also served as the country’s chief economic authority. Read more here.
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- 6 Jan 2026, 01:01:30 PM IST
US-Venezuela tension LIVE: CPI India protest outside US consulate in Chennai after military action in Caracas
US-Venezuela tension LIVE: Former Tamil Nadu CPI State Secretary Muthuarasan led the protest, which was held near Kamarajar Arangam on Anna Salai, where CPI staging a protest near the US Consulate General in Chennai against the United States over its actions on Venezuela.
The protesters raised slogans accusing the US government of violating international law and undermining the sovereignty of Venezuela. They also condemned what they described as attempts to arrest the President of Venezuela.
- 6 Jan 2026, 12:11:15 PM IST
US-Venezuela tension LIVE: Venezuelan woman ‘tortured’ by Maduro forces urges judge to give him ‘maximum’ sentence
US-Venezuela tension LIVE: A woman left disfigured when Venezuelan military forces tossed boiling water on her at an anti-government protest in Caracas in 2021 has urged a Manhattan federal judge Monday to lock up dictator Nicolás Maduro for as long as possible.
The woman, who said she immigrated to the US from Caracas shortly after she was injured, was among scores of demonstrators who gathered outside court as Maduro pleaded not guilty to narco-terrorism charges.
“I’m here today asking for his sentence to be as long as possible — the maximum,” said the woman, who now works at a community center in New Rochelle, told The New York Post. Read more here
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- 6 Jan 2026, 11:10:48 AM IST
US-Venezuela tension LIVE: Rodriguez a good fit for Trump's oil plans, say experts
US-Venezuela tension LIVE: As US threatened Maduro’s grip on power in recent months, a cadre of executives, lawyers and investors tied to the oil industry made their case to anyone who would listen — the Trump administration, congressional aides: His familiar No. 2 Delcy Rodríguez should fill his shoes in Venezuela.
An oil minister herself, Rodríguez has long been the go-to contact for senior executives, whom she impressed by navigating Venezuela‘s industry through international sanctions, economic pressures and internal mismanagement.
As per reported by Bloomberg, President Donald Trump’s inner circle came to the conclusion that Rodriguez would be best positioned to shepherd through the US plan to restore Venezuela to its glory days as an oil gusher, argued executives and lobbyists.
Bloomberg further added that both groups believed that the vice president, long seen as a bridge between the government and private sector, could stabilize Venezuela’s oil-based economy and facilitate American business faster than leading dissident María Corina Machado could, said the people.
- 6 Jan 2026, 10:24:21 AM IST
US-Venezuela tension LIVE: Maduro pleads not guilty
US-Venezeula tension LIVE: Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro pleaded not guilty to drug trafficking and other charges in a New York court Monday, two days after he was captured by US forces in a stunning raid on his home in Caracas.
Maduro, 63, told a federal judge in Manhattan "I'm innocent. I'm not guilty."
Smiling as he entered the courtroom and wearing an orange shirt with beige trousers, Maduro spoke softly.
"I'm president of the Republic of Venezuela and I'm here kidnapped since January 3, Saturday," Maduro told the court, speaking in Spanish through an interpreter. "I was captured at my home in Caracas, Venezuela, he added.
Maduro's wife Cilia Flores also pleaded not guilty. The judge ordered both to remain behind bars and set a new hearing date of March 17.
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- 6 Jan 2026, 10:18:07 AM IST
US-Venezuela tension LIVE: Over a dozen media workers detained in Venezuela
US-Venezuela tension LIVE: More than a dozen media workers were detained on Monday while reporting from Venezuela’s capital, Caracas. They were covering events that included a march backing ousted President Nicolas Maduro and the swearing-in of the country’s new legislature, the nation’s press association said.
The press association, SNTP, said on X that all 14 people held were later released. It added that one of those detained was a foreign journalist who was deported.
- 6 Jan 2026, 10:05:17 AM IST
US-Venezuela tension LIVE: ‘We are not occupying that country’, US Speaker of the House on Venezuela
US-Venezuela tension LIVE: US President Donald Trump has no plans to occupy Venezuela or aim for nation-building there, Republican US lawmakers said on Monday.
"We do not have U.S. armed forces in Venezuela, and we are not occupying that country," Republican House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana told reporters after the classified session with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and other senior officials.
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- 6 Jan 2026, 09:48:45 AM IST
US-Venezuela tension LIVE: Sri Lanka urges UN to work towards peaceful resolution
US-Venezuela tension LIVE: Sri Lanka has called on the United Nations to pursue a peaceful solution after the US military raid, while keeping in mind the safety, welfare and sovereign rights of the people of Venezuela.
In a statement issued by the country's ministry of foreign affairs on Monday, it said that "it is important that the United Nations and its organs such as the UN Security Council be seized of the matter and work towards a peaceful resolution taking into consideration the safety, well-being and the sovereign rights of the Venezuelan people”.
- 6 Jan 2026, 09:36:15 AM IST
US-Venezuela tension LIVE: Amid Caracas tensions, Greenland issues stark warning for Trump
US-Venezuela tension LIVE: After its ‘military operation’ in Venezuela, US president Donald Trump has listed more nations where he believes US intervention is necessary.
Among these is Greenland, the autonomous territory of Denmark, known for its rare earth minerals. Since assuming office, Trump has hinted time and again of a possible US takeover.
However, it her latest warning, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said Monday an American takeover of Greenland would amount to the end of the NATO military alliance.
“If the United States chooses to attack another NATO country militarily, then everything stops,” Frederiksen told Danish broadcaster TV2 on Monday. “That is, including our NATO and thus the security that has been provided since the end of the Second World War.”
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- 6 Jan 2026, 09:18:21 AM IST
US-Venezuela tension LIVE: Machado rejects Delcy Rodríguez as president
US-Venezuela tension LIVE: Maria Machado has openly rejected the country's interim president Delcy Rodriguez, saying she “is one of the main architects of torture, persecution, corruption, narcotrafficking.”
"In free and fair elections, we will win by over 90 percent of the votes, I have no doubt about it," Machado told FOX news.
Machado also vowed to "turn Venezuela into the energy hub of the Americas" and "dismantle all these criminal structures" that have harmed her countrymen, promising to “bring millions of Venezuelans that have been forced to flee our country back home.”
- 6 Jan 2026, 08:31:14 AM IST
US-Venezuela tension LIVE: Venezuelan opposition leader Machado vows to return home 'as soon as possible'
US-Venezuela tension LIVE: Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado has vowed to return home 'as soon as possible'.
Machado has been in hiding since due to the threat to her life since the 2024 elections in Venezuela.
In 2025, Machado was also awarded the Nobel Peace Prize "for her tireless work promoting democratic rights for the people of Venezuela and for her struggle to achieve a just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy."
However, following Maduro's capture, Machado was not endorsed as the presidential candidate by Donald Trump. Based on a Washington Post report, Machado's acceptance of the peace prize which was eyed by Trump, was considered the "ultimate sin", despite the Venezuelan leader dedicating her win to POTUS.
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- 6 Jan 2026, 08:10:57 AM IST
US-Venezuela tension LIVE: Maria Corina Machado says she has not spoken with Trump since October
US-Venezuela tension LIVE: Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado said on Monday that she has not spoken to U.S. President Donald Trump since October 2025.
While speaking on Fox News' “Hannity”, Machado's remarks come after the United States' strikes on Venezuela on Saturday which resulted in the capture of its president Nicolas Maduro.
- 6 Jan 2026, 07:40:56 AM IST
US-Venezuela tension LIVE: Trump briefs top lawmakers, Congress on Venezuela plan after Maduro capture
US-Venezuela tension LIVE: Top officials from Donald Trump's administration have briefed congressional leaders on the US . government’s plans for the future of Venezuela in a Monday evening meeting on Capitol Hill.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and other officials discussed Venezuela with House and Senate leadership, as well as top members of the intelligence committees and national security committees.
House Speaker Mike Johnson said after receiving the briefing he does not expect the United States to deploy troops to Venezuela, and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said the session “posed far more questions than it answered.”
“I think those are all questions I think will be more sufficiently answered,” said Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., about whether the Trump administration gave a timeline for reaching operational control of Venezuela.
(With inputs from AP)
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- 6 Jan 2026, 07:14:37 AM IST
US-Venezuela tension LIVE: After Caracas, Mexico downplays threat of US intervention
US-Venezuela tension LIVE: After the US military's intervention in Venezuela, the Mexican government have discounted the likelihood of unilateral military action against Mexican drug cartels, despite threats from Donald Trump.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum’s administration has been complying with Washington's demands and the economic ties between the two countries are vital, people familiar with the matter told AP.
Sheinbaum has downplayed the possibility of American military action on Monday.
“I don’t see risks (of that),” she said. “There is coordination, there is collaboration with the United States government.”
“I don’t believe in (the possibility of) invasion, I don’t believe even that it’s something they are taking seriously. Organized crime is not taken care with (foreign military) intervention," she added further.
- 6 Jan 2026, 06:41:08 AM IST
US-Venezuela tension LIVE: Drones spotted over Miraflores palace as Maduro pleads not guilty in US court
US-Venezuela tension LIVE: Shots were fired late Monday near Venezuela's presidential palace, witnesses and a source close to the government told news agency AFP.
While the government has added that the situation was under control, the report stated that unidentified drones flew over the Miraflores palace in central Caracas and security forces opened fire in response around 8:00 pm (0000 GMT).
Meanwhile, in the US, Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores have both pled not guilty to the charges of narco-terrorism and drug trafficking.
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- 6 Jan 2026, 06:30:30 AM IST
US-Venezuela tension LIVE: Gunfire reported near presidential palace after Delcy Rodriguez sworn in
US-Venezuela tension LIVE: Shots fired near Venezuela presidential palace reported news agency AFP. As per witnesses and source close to presidency, the situation is now under control.
- 6 Jan 2026, 06:03:09 AM IST
US-Venezuela tension LIVE: Trump says US may reimburse firms for rebuilding Venezuela’s oil sector
US-Venezuela tension LIVE: President Donald Trump reportedly said the United States may subsidise energy companies working to rebuild Venezuela’s oil industry, as his administration looks to draw investment into the country days after the ouster of Nicolás Maduro.
In an interview with NBC News on Monday, Trump said revamping Venezuela’s struggling energy infrastructure could take about 18 months.
“I think we can do it in less time than that, but it’ll be a lot of money,” he said. “A tremendous amount of money will have to be spent and the oil companies will spend it, and then they’ll get reimbursed by us or through revenue.”
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- 6 Jan 2026, 05:31:33 AM IST
US-Venezuela tension LIVE: US says it does not seek to occupy Venezuela after Maduro raid
US-Venezuela tension LIVE: The Trump administration has no intention of occupying Venezuela, Washington told the United Nations on Monday, as it came under sharp criticism during an emergency Security Council meeting over the special forces operation that led to the capture of Nicolas Maduro.
Addressing the council, US ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz said the action was limited in scope, stressing: “We are not occupying a country, this was a law enforcement operation,” reported Bloomberg.
- 6 Jan 2026, 04:55:51 AM IST
US-Venezuela tension LIVE: Top Trump officials to brief Congress on Venezuela plans
US-Venezuela tension LIVE: Senior members of President Donald Trump’s administration are reportedly set to brief US lawmakers on Washington’s next steps on Venezuela.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, along with other officials, will meet House and Senate leadership as well as senior members of the intelligence and national security committees on Monday evening to discuss the administration’s plans, reported Associated Press.
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- 6 Jan 2026, 04:15:45 AM IST
US-Venezuela tension LIVE: Maduro’s son calls capture ‘kidnapping’, appeals for global support
US-Venezuela tension LIVE: Nicolas Maduro Guerra, the son of deposed Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, on Monday local time described his father’s capture by US forces as a “kidnapping” and urged the international community to show solidarity to help secure his return to Venezuela, CNN reported.
Speaking publicly, Maduro Guerra warned against normalising such actions, saying, “If we normalise the kidnapping of a head of state, no country is safe. Today it's Venezuela, tomorrow it could be any nation that refuses to submit. This is not a regional problem; it is a direct threat to global stability, to humanity and to the sovereign equality of nations.”
- 6 Jan 2026, 03:08:03 AM IST
US-Venezuela tension LIVE: Switzerland freezes assets linked to Maduro and his allies
US-Venezuela tension LIVE: Switzerland has reportedly frozen any assets held in the country by Nicolas Maduro and individuals close to the Venezuelan leader, the Swiss government said on Monday.
The asset freeze takes immediate effect and will remain in place for four years, unless extended. The Swiss foreign ministry said a total of 37 people are currently affected by the measure.
The move is aimed at ensuring that potentially illegally acquired assets cannot be transferred out of Switzerland, according to a government statement cited by Bloomberg.
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- 6 Jan 2026, 02:23:44 AM IST
US-Venezuela tension LIVE: Nearly 200 US troops entered Caracas to seize Maduro, Pentagon chief says
US-Venezuela tension LIVE: Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth on Monday confirmed that close to 200 US military personnel took part in the operation to capture Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro in Caracas.
Speaking to US sailors and shipbuilders in Virginia, Hegseth said, “Nearly 200 of our greatest Americans went downtown in Caracas… and grabbed an indicted individual wanted by American justice, in support of law enforcement, without a single American killed," AFP reported.
This is the first official confirmation of the number of US forces involved in the dramatic operation, which also included more than 150 military aircraft performing various roles, including strikes on Venezuelan defenses.
- 6 Jan 2026, 02:00:31 AM IST
US-Venezuela tension LIVE: Maduro pleads not guilty in US court, insists he is Venezuela’s president
Ousted Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro on Monday pleaded not guilty to US charges in a narco-terrorism case, marking the start of a high-stakes legal battle with far-reaching geopolitical implications.
Speaking through an interpreter, Maduro told the court, “I am innocent. I am not guilty. I am a decent man,” adding that he is still the president of Venezuela.
His wife, Cilia Flores, who also appeared in court, pleaded not guilty to the three charges she faces. Both Maduro and Flores wore headphones to listen to translations of the proceedings. Read More
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- 6 Jan 2026, 01:29:26 AM IST
US-Venezuela tension LIVE: ‘In the name of all Venezuelans,’ Delcy Rodriguez vows cooperation with US
US-Venezuela tension LIVE: Delcy Rodriguez, who has signalled a willingness to work with Washington, took the oath as Venezuela’s interim president during a ceremony at the National Assembly, telling lawmakers she was assuming office “in the name of all Venezuelans,” reported AFP.
Addressing the chamber, Rodriguez said she was “in pain over the kidnapping of our heroes, the hostages in the United States,” referring to Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, who are facing drug-related charges along with other Venezuelan officials.
- 6 Jan 2026, 12:53:14 AM IST
US-Venezuela tension LIVE: Delcy Rodriguez formally takes oath as Venezuela’s interim president
US-Venezuela tension LIVE: Delcy Rodriguez, Venezuela’s vice president and oil minister, was formally sworn in on Monday as the country’s interim president, Reuters reported.
The swearing-in ceremony also included 283 lawmakers elected in May. Only a small number of them are from opposition parties, as most of the opposition, including the faction led by Nobel laureate María Corina Machado, boycotted the vote.
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- 6 Jan 2026, 12:40:42 AM IST
US-Venezuela tension LIVE: Turkish President warns Trump against chaos in Venezuela
US-Venezuela tension LIVE: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday that he had cautioned US President Donald Trump against allowing Venezuela to slide into chaos. Erdogan said he discussed the US action in a phone call with Trump, stressing the broader consequences of the move.
“Any attack on the sovereignty of the people and any violation of international law will generate serious complications within the international order,” Erdogan said he told Trump, reported AFP.
He added that “Venezuela must not descend into chaos or instability,” speaking to Turkish television after a cabinet meeting.
- 5 Jan 2026, 11:55:55 PM IST
US-Venezuela tension LIVE: Venezuela parliament chief vows to ‘bring back’ Maduro
US-Venezuela tension LIVE: Venezuela’s newly re-elected parliament chief Jorge Rodriguez on Monday reportedly said the National Assembly would pursue every possible route to secure the return of ousted president Nicolás Maduro.
Addressing lawmakers, Rodriguez said his priority in the coming days would be to use “all procedures, all platforms, and all avenues” to “bring back Nicolas Maduro Moros,” whom he described as “my brother, my president,” reported AFP.
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- 5 Jan 2026, 11:31:23 PM IST
US-Venezuela tension LIVE: Judge orders Maduro to appear in court on March 17
US-Venezuela tension LIVE: The US judge has ordered Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro to appear in court on March 17 for hearing, Reuters reported.
- 5 Jan 2026, 11:02:41 PM IST
US-Venezuela tension LIVE: US does not recognise Nicolas Maduro's government since 2019
US-Venezuela tension LIVE: US does not recognise Nicolas Maduro's government since 2019, a state department document says. The indictment against him was brought in 2020.
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