Videos circulating online showed fires, smoke, and multiple explosions across Caracas early on Saturday, with the cause still unclear.
Venezuela’s capital,
Caracas, reported at least seven explosions on Saturday, with many residents also hearing the sound of low-flying aircraft, according to local accounts. Dramatic footage shared on social media early on Saturday showed large fires, thick smoke and repeated explosions across the city after a series of powerful overnight blasts shook parts of Caracas.
Videos circulating online showed multiple buildings on fire in different areas of Caracas, with a visible column of smoke rising into the sky. Loud explosions were reported around 2:00 am local time, accompanied by sounds resembling aircraft flyovers.
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
Additional footage showed what appeared to be multiple secondary explosions, as flames and smoke continued to billow from affected areas. 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 remains unclear
The cause of the explosions and their precise locations were not immediately known. Authorities had not released official details at the time of reporting. However, according to CBS, US President Donald Trump ordered the attack inside Venezuela, including on its military facilities.
While the US government has not officially confirmed any attack, the Maduro administration in Caracas condemned the incident.
“Venezuela rejects, repudiates, and denounces before the international community the extremely serious military aggression perpetrated by the current government of the United States of America against Venezuelan territory and people,” Maduro’s government said.
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 Venezuelan drug-running boats, a move seen as the first land strike in a military campaign aimed at countering narcotics trafficking from Latin America.
Ongoing strikes and political tensions
US forces have also carried out numerous strikes on boats in the Caribbean Sea and the eastern Pacific Ocean since September, targeting what Washington says are drug smugglers. Trump has accused Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro of leading a drug cartel and said the campaign is aimed at cracking down on trafficking.
Maduro has denied any involvement in the narcotics trade, saying Washington is seeking to overthrow him because Venezuela holds the largest known reserves of oil on Earth.
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