Friday World – January 3, 2026
The Blueprint of Pressure: How the U.S. Turned Economic Weapons into Military Might The events of January 3, 2026, in Caracas were not sudden. They represent the dramatic climax of a meticulously orchestrated campaign that began long before the first explosion shook the Venezuelan capital.
The Trump administration followed a familiar playbook: first impose crippling sanctions, then label the target a narcotics and terrorism threat, and finally justify direct intervention under the banner of national security.
This pattern echoes past U.S. operations in Latin America and bears striking similarities to ongoing dynamics in the Middle East, particularly Israel's actions with tacit American backing.
Step One: Economic Strangulation Through Sanctions. -Since early 2025, the U.S. Treasury Department ramped up sanctions targeting Venezuela's lifeblood—its oil industry.
Companies, tankers, and even family members of President Nicolás Maduro were designated under various executive orders. The nephews of Maduro's wife, already convicted in the U.S. for drug trafficking before receiving clemency, were re-sanctioned.
Shipping firms and vessels involved in Venezuela's oil trade were blocked, effectively creating a de facto blockade. These measures aimed to starve the Maduro government of revenue while portraying the regime as inherently corrupt and tied to illicit activities.
The narrative was clear: Venezuela was no longer just an authoritarian state but a "narco-state" flooding the U.S. with deadly drugs.
Despite reports from the DEA and UNODC indicating that most cocaine entering the United States originates primarily from Colombia and Mexico, with Venezuela serving mainly as a transit point, the administration amplified claims of the so-called Cartel de los Soles—a network allegedly led by Maduro himself.
Step Two: The Narcoterrorism Designation – The Legal Trigger In a pivotal move, the Trump White House designated the Cartel de los Soles, along with associated groups like Tren de Aragua, as foreign terrorist organizations.
This classification was crucial. It transformed a law-enforcement issue into a matter of armed conflict, providing legal justification for military action under the laws of war.
The administration argued that strikes against suspected drug-trafficking vessels in the Caribbean and Pacific were part of an ongoing non-international armed conflict with "narcoterrorists." By late 2025, warnings of land-based operations grew louder. President Trump repeatedly stated that action "on land" would follow soon.
The groundwork was laid: first economic isolation, then demonization as terrorists, paving the way for direct confrontation.
Step Three: From Sea Strikes to Caracas Explosions The escalation reached its peak in the early hours of January 3, 2026. Powerful blasts targeted key military sites including La Carlota airfield and Fuerte Tiuna—the heart of Venezuela's military command. Low-flying aircraft, helicopters, power outages, smoke plumes, and flames turned Caracas into a war zone overnight. President Trump promptly declared on social media that U.S. forces had conducted a "large-scale strike," capturing Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores, who were allegedly flown out of the country to face trial on drug trafficking and narcoterrorism charges.
While the Pentagon and White House remained silent on operational details, international media circulated videos of fires and destruction.
Venezuelan officials condemned the action as a grave violation of sovereignty and the UN Charter, demanding proof of life for their leader. Neighboring nations reacted with alarm
—Colombia mobilized troops to the border, Cuba called it "criminal," and calls for UN Security Council intervention echoed across the region. The Real Objective:
Not Drugs, But Control Critics argue that the drug threat served as a convenient pretext. Venezuela holds the world's largest proven oil reserves—a strategic asset long coveted by Washington.
The Maduro government has resisted U.S. influence, aligned with Russia, China, and Iran, and survived repeated attempts at regime change. Human rights concerns, electoral irregularities, and corruption have been highlighted, yet the sudden military operation raises questions about priorities.
This approach mirrors Israel's military campaigns in Gaza and Lebanon, where security threats (often tied to terrorism designations) justify large-scale actions with U.S. support.
In both cases, the stated goal—eliminating threats—coexists with broader strategic aims: reshaping regional power dynamics and securing influence over resources and politics. The Trump administration appears uninterested in nation-building or human rights promotion; the pattern suggests a desire for control, installing compliant leadership, or at minimum, neutralizing governments that defy American hegemony.
Regional Shockwaves and Global Implications. The operation has sent tremors through Latin America. Leaders fear a return to the era of direct U.S. interventions, last seen prominently in Panama in 1989. The use of special forces (reportedly Delta Force) for a high-profile capture recalls historical precedents, yet in a different geopolitical context. For ordinary Venezuelans, already suffering from years of economic collapse, sanctions, and political turmoil, the future remains uncertain. Hospitals filled with the injured, streets filled with panic, and a nation left wondering:
Was this truly about drugs, or is it another chapter in the endless pursuit of dominance? As the dust settles over Caracas, one fact is undeniable: the path from tariffs and sanctions to special operations is short when the target controls vast resources and refuses to bend. The world watches to see whether this "brilliant operation," as described by Trump, brings stability—or ignites a broader crisis.
Friday World – January 3, 2026
Sajjadali Nayani ✍
