State Department warns US citizens to leave Venezuela

The warning came amid reports of armed militias.

Last Updated: January 11, 2026, 10:28 PM EST

Deposed Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife appeared in a federal court in New York City on Monday, following their capture by U.S. forces over the weekend in a military operation in the Venezuelan capital of Caracas.

Following the operation, President Donald Trump said that the U.S. would "run" Venezuela for an unspecified "period of time."

Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez has been sworn in as interim leader to lead the country after what the Venezuelan Supreme Court described as Maduro's "kidnapping."

Jan 07, 2026, 3:12 AM EST

Russia, Iran issue new statements in support of Venezuela

The Russian and Iranian foreign ministries both issued new statements of support for Venezuela on Tuesday. Both nations have been long-term partners of Caracas and backers of deposed President Nicolas Maduro's government.

People attend a rally in support of ousted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in Caracas, Venezuela, on Jan. 6, 2026.
Federico Parra/AFP via Getty Images

Russia's Foreign Ministry said the appointment of interim President Delcy Rodriguez demonstrates Caracas' "determination to ensure unity and preserve the vertical structure of power" in the face of what it called "blatant neocolonial threats and armed aggression from outside."

"We reaffirm Russia's unwavering solidarity with the Venezuelan people and government," the statement said. "We express our readiness to continue providing the necessary support to our friend Venezuela."

"We firmly believe that Venezuela must be guaranteed the right to determine its own destiny without any destructive external interference," the ministry added.

Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei, meanwhile, said in a statement that "violating the sovereignty and territorial integrity of other countries is unjustifiable under any circumstances. The actions of the United States run counter to international laws and regulations."

"Such practices will have negative consequences for the entire international community," he added. "The actions of the United States should be condemned and opposed by the international community, and all parties involved must bear full responsibility for their actions."

-ABC News' Will Gretsky

Jan 06, 2026, 9:18 PM EST

Venezuela and Cuba declare days of mourning

Venezuela's acting president, Delcy Rodriguez, and Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel have both announced days of mourning following the U.S. operation in Venezuela.

Cuba will have two days of mourning for the 32 members of the military who were killed.

Granma, the official newspaper of Cuba’s Communist Party, also posted images of the fallen military personnel with a headline, “Honor and Glory!”

Rodriguez announced that Venezuela would recognize a seven-day mourning period to honor "the young men and women who died, offering their lives, defending Venezuela, defending President Nicolas Maduro."

"There's no peace here because we're not at war," Rodriguez said. "We're a people and a country of peace that was assaulted and attacked."

-ABC News' Ismario Rodriguez Perez and Will Gretsky

Jan 06, 2026, 7:02 PM EST

Trump says Venezuela turning over up to 50 million barrels of oil to US

Venezuela is turning over 30 million to 50 million barrels of oil to the United States, according to President Donald Trump.

"This Oil will be sold at its Market Price, and that money will be controlled by me, as President of the United States of America, to ensure it is used to benefit the people of Venezuela and the United States!" he said Tuesday in a statement on social media.

The oil will be "taken by storage ships, and brought directly to unloading docks in the United States," Trump said.

He said he has asked Energy Secretary Chris Wright to "execute this plan, immediately."

Venezuela has roughly 303 billion barrels of crude oil, or about 17% of the world's reserves, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, a government agency.

The U.S. uses roughly 20 million barrels of oil per day and produces approximately 13.4 million barrels of crude oil a day, according to the agency and trade groups.

Jan 06, 2026, 5:08 PM EST

Venezuela has shown its 'true character' after US attack, interim president says

Venezuela has demonstrated its "true character" in its response to the U.S. attack, the country's interim president, Delcy Rodriguez, said during a press conference on Tuesday.

Rodriguez said Venezuela is showing that it's a country that "refuses to surrender," is "in active resistance" and is made up of a "dignified people."

Vice President Delcy Rodriguez attends her swearing-in ceremony as Venezuela’s interim president at the National Assembly in Caracas, Venezuela, January 5, 2026.
Marcelo Garcia/Miraflores via AFP via Getty Images

"It's Venezuela that has demonstrated to the world our true character, that we've become stronger, that we've grown spiritually to confront the challenges, the attacks, the threats," Rodriguez said in Caracas on Tuesday, one day after being sworn in as the country's de facto leader.

The Saturday operation led to the capture and ouster of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, and the death of at least 50 Venezuelan and Cuban security officials, according to the countries.

A woman waves a Venezuelan flag among members of the National Bolivarian Armed Forces during a rally in support of ousted Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores in Caracas, January 6, 2026.
Ronaldo Schemidt/AFP via Getty Images

-ABC News' Ellie Kaufman

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