At 2:01 a.m. local time on January 3, 2026, explosions rippled across Caracas as the city’s lights abruptly went dark. U.S. helicopters flew low toward the capital while airstrikes hit Venezuelan military sites. Satellite imagery later showed buildings destroyed at the Fuerte Tiuna military complex.
By 2:29 a.m., U.S. forces were gone—taking President Nicolás Maduro and his wife with them. Online, dramatic headlines quickly claimed something far larger had happened.
The Viral Headline Takes Off
The headline spread fast: “New Satellite Images Show Caracas Before-And-After—Buildings Leveled By Over 150 U.S. Aircraft.” It suggested citywide devastation, flattened neighborhoods, and mass destruction across the Venezuelan capital.
Despite the scale of the claim, no major international newsroom or official body published satellite imagery showing widespread residential destruction across Caracas, prompting immediate scrutiny from fact-checkers and analysts.
What the Satellite Images Actually Show
Authenticated satellite imagery does exist, but it tells a narrower story. Images from Vantor (formerly Maxar) document 5–6 destroyed buildings, burned vehicles, and damaged infrastructure at the Fuerte Tiuna military complex.
Before-and-after comparisons from December 22, 2025 and January 3, 2026 confirm precise military damage, but show no large-scale leveling of civilian neighborhoods or citywide residential destruction.
Operation Absolute Resolve, Confirmed
There is no dispute that a real U.S. operation occurred. Operation Absolute Resolve launched between 2:01 and 2:29 a.m. local time on January 3, 2026, following presidential authorization at 11:46 p.m. EST.
Its stated objective was specific: capture Nicolás Maduro and Cilia Flores. That objective was achieved through a tightly timed joint mission combining airstrikes, cyber actions, and a special-operations ground assault.
How Big Was the U.S. Air Presence?
Pentagon officials confirmed that more than 150 U.S. aircraft participated in the operation, launching from roughly 20 land- and sea-based locations.
However, this total includes refueling tankers, ISR platforms, electronic-warfare aircraft, transport helicopters, drones, and fighters, with only a subset conducting strike missions.
Targets: Military, Not Citywide
Verified strikes focused on military and air-defense infrastructure, not residential districts. Confirmed targets include Fuerte Tiuna, La Carlota air base, Higuerote Airport, Port La Guaira, and communications towers.
Satellite imagery shows warehouses leveled, radar destroyed, and vehicles burned inside secured facilities, consistent with neutralizing defenses rather than flattening the city.
Power Cuts and Electronic Warfare
During the opening phase, parts of Caracas lost electricity and communications. U.S. officials attributed this to cyber and electronic-warfare actions disrupting Venezuelan command and control.
President Trump stated the city’s lights were “largely turned off due to certain expertise we have,” aligning with a suppression operation rather than citywide bombardment.
Human Cost: Serious but Limited
The operation caused real loss of life. Reporting places fatalities between 40 and 80, including 32 Cuban military personnel, Venezuelan guards, and civilians.
Some homes near strike sites were damaged and residents evacuated, but there is no credible evidence of mass civilian deaths or entire neighborhoods destroyed.
The 28-Minute Raid
The ground assault lasted 28 minutes. Delta Force helicopters landed under fire at Fuerte Tiuna at 2:01 a.m., and Maduro was captured inside the compound.
U.S. forces extracted Maduro and Flores by 2:29 a.m., suffering no fatalities. One helicopter was damaged but remained flyable.
From Caracas to Manhattan
Within hours, Maduro and Flores were flown to the USS Iwo Jima, then transferred to New York.
On January 5, 2026, Maduro was arraigned in Manhattan federal court on narco-terrorism and drug-trafficking charges stemming from a 2020 indictment.
How the Mission Was Built
Months of preparation preceded the strike. Intelligence reportedly tracked Maduro’s movements using human sources, ISR platforms, stealth drones, and cyber tools.
A full-scale replica of the compound was built for rehearsals, emphasizing precision and timing rather than mass urban destruction.
The Role of Fake and AI-Generated Media
Fact-checkers identified AI-generated videos and fabricated visuals circulating online, falsely presented as satellite evidence of a devastated Caracas.
At least one widely shared clip depicting Maduro’s capture amid massive destruction was proven fake, inflating perceptions beyond verified imagery.
Law, Sovereignty, and Global Reaction
Under Article 2(4) of the UN Charter, the use of force against another state’s territorial integrity is prohibited, prompting legal debate over the raid.
UN records show no emergency resolution addressing alleged city-leveling bombardment, highlighting the gap between viral claims and institutional responses.
Politics After the Raid
In the U.S., lawmakers questioned the operation’s legal basis and lack of prior notification, focusing on executive authority and oversight.
In Venezuela, Delcy Rodríguez was sworn in as interim president, a state of emergency was declared, and security forces flooded Caracas streets.
Why the Headline Falls Apart
Verified facts include 150+ aircraft involved, precision strikes on military targets, documented satellite damage, power disruptions, and Maduro’s capture.
What remains unverified is the headline’s implication of leveled Caracas neighborhoods, showing how language raced far ahead of evidence.
Sources:
New York Times, “Inside ‘Operation Absolute Resolve,’ the U.S. Effort to Capture Maduro”, January 3, 2026
Business Insider, “Damage at Venezuelan Military Sites After US Strikes”, January 2, 2026
CBS News, “Ousted Venezuelan President Maduro arraigned in U.S. court”, January 5, 2026
AP News, “Cuba says 32 Cuban officers were killed in US operation in Venezuela”, January 4, 2026
New York Times, “A.I. Images of Maduro Spread Rapidly, Despite Safeguards”, January 5, 2026
BBC, “How the US captured Maduro”, January 3, 2026