Blasts witnessed across Venezuelan capital amid US campaign targeting drug cartel

By Agencies and ToI Staff 3 January 2026, 8:34 am

1 Edit

Footage shows explosions around the Venezuelan capital Caracas, and the southern area of the city, near a major military base, is without electricity.

Low-flying aircraft are heard over the city.

The explosions come as US President Donald Trump, who has deployed a navy task force to the Caribbean, has raised the possibility of ground strikes against Venezuela.

The Trump administration has accused Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro of heading a drug cartel and says it is cracking down on trafficking, but the leftist leader denies any involvement in the narcotics trade, saying the US seeks a coup because Venezuela has the largest known reserves of oil on Earth.

Washington has ramped up pressure on Caracas by informally closing Venezuela’s airspace, imposing more sanctions, and ordering the seizure of tankers loaded with Venezuelan oil.

US forces have also carried out numerous strikes on boats in both the Caribbean Sea and the eastern Pacific Ocean since September, targeting what Washington says are drug smugglers.

The deadly maritime campaign has killed at least 107 people in at least 30 strikes, according to information released by the US military.