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U.S. Urges Citizens To Leave Venezuela, Warns Armed Militias Have Set Up Roadblocks To Hunt Americans
The U.S. Embassy has warned that the security situation in Venezuela remains highly unstable, urging all U.S. citizens not to travel to the country and to depart immediately if already there.

In a January 10, 2026 security alert, the embassy reiterated longstanding travel warnings dating back to 2019, when the U.S. fully withdrew diplomatic personnel from its Caracas mission and suspended all consular services.

The advisory highlights reports of armed militia groups known as “colectivos” setting up roadblocks and searching vehicles for evidence of U.S. citizenship or support for the United States, urging citizens to remain vigilant and take precautions while traveling by road.

“Do not travel to Venezuela. U.S. citizens in Venezuela should take precautions to ensure their safety. All U.S. citizens in Venezuela are advised to leave Venezuela as soon as they feel it is safe to do so,” the travel advisory said in part.

Venezuela continues to be classified at the highest Travel Advisory level (Level 4: Do Not Travel) due to severe risks such as wrongful detention, torture, terrorism, kidnapping, arbitrary enforcement of laws, crime, civil unrest, and poor health infrastructure.

The embassy advised Americans still in Venezuela to check international flight schedules and leave as soon as safely possible, as commercial flights have resumed but seats may be limited.

It also urged them to establish multiple communication channels with family and friends outside the country and prepare contingency plans for emergency situations, since the U.S. government is currently unable to provide routine or emergency assistance.

Americans are also encouraged to enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive the latest security updates.

The alert comes amid broader concerns about public safety and ongoing instability in Venezuela, including intermittent power and utility outages across the country.

In early January 2026, a major escalation in U.S. foreign policy occurred under the administration of President Donald Trump. On January 3, 2026, the U.S. military launched a targeted operation in Venezuela that resulted in the abduction of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores.

In[b] the early hours of January 3, more than 200 U.S. Special Operations forces conducted a pre-dawn raid in Caracas. The mission, codenamed Operation Absolute Resolve, targeted several locations, primarily the Fort Tiuna military complex.
[/b]
U.S. forces reportedly "dragged" Maduro and Flores from their residence within the complex. They were transported to the USS Iwo Jima and subsequently flown to New York City.

While no U.S. personnel were killed, the raid resulted in significant casualties. Reports indicate that at least dozens of Venezuelan security officers and Cuban special forces, acting as Maduro's bodyguards, were killed.

Following the capture, Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez was sworn in as acting president by the National Assembly, denouncing the operation as a "kidnapping" and a violation of sovereignty.

The public justification for the operation was framed as a law enforcement action. Upon their arrival in New York, an indictment was unsealed charging Maduro and Flores with narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy and weapons charges.

The U.S. Department of Justice alleged that Maduro had led a "cocaine-fueled" government for decades, partnering with cartels like the Sinaloa Cartel and the FARC to flood the U.S. with drugs.

On January 5, both Maduro and his wife pleaded not guilty in a Manhattan federal court.

Once the capture was secured, the rhetoric from the Trump administration began to shift from strictly criminal charges to the geopolitical and economic control of Venezuela’s natural resources.

President Trump stated shortly after the raid that the U.S. would "run the country" until a transition of power occurred.

Within days, the administration began organizing meetings with U.S. oil and gas executives to discuss rebuilding Venezuela's energy sector.

The U.S. Department of Energy indicated it would "selectively roll back" sanctions to enable the sale of Venezuelan crude to global markets, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio suggesting an "oil quarantine" to exert leverage.

Critics and international observers noted that while the war on drugs provided the legal pretext for the "extraction," the subsequent focus on oil reserves suggested that securing energy assets and regional influence were primary strategic goals.

SaharaReporters


In a January 10, 2026 security alert, the embassy reiterated longstanding travel warnings dating back to 2019, when the U.S. fully withdrew diplomatic personnel from its Caracas mission and suspended all consular services.

All bark and no bite, no militia is capable of challenging Trump.

Due to severe risks such as wrongful detention, torture, terrorism, kidnapping, arbitrary enforcement of laws, crime, civil unrest, and poor health infrastructure.



Funny, considering this is what anyone would face in US today.

That's not unexpected anyways.

Parts of Libya are still in the control of warlords, post Gaddafi.

Has Iraq settled since ousting Saddam?

If Venezuela case is not properly managed it will end up like Libya and South Sudan. Guerrilla warfare will be order of the day!

I thought the COMPROMISED Western Media and their PAID influencers said EVERYBODY and their grandma were out on the streets celebrating the illegal ABDUCTION of Maduro.

Why are the Armed Militia (FREEDOM FIGHTERS, really) now hunting down Americans and American Sycophants?

To thank them?


They are going to DESTABILISE the country and label people who DON'T want the American Criminals in their country TERRORISTS.

I DISAGREE with people who call Trump Dmub.
He's a 2-time President of the US despite being a PDFile and a RAYPIST.

So definitely NOT dmub.
ONLY thing is that his smartness begins and ends with SCAMMING and GRIFTING the BIGGER FOOLS who have been brainwashed with the help of the COMPROMISED Media.

Smart at GRIFTING.
Dmub at EVERYTHING else.

The PDFile labelled the entire government of Venezuela as TERRORIST and says he'll NOT negotiate with them.

Then KIDNAPS the President but leaves the Vice President in CHARGE.
Then PROMPTLY began negotiations with the VP.

MOWRUN!

The BIGGEST LOSER is the opposition candidate who won the Nobel Peace Prize and was expecting to be installed as the New Leader.

Ground invasion loading

I just pity the innocent citizens

Civil war loading in Venezuela.

Courtesy of Trump

Them dn carry their brand of democracy enter Venezuela

In as much as I like some aspects of Donald Trump, esp. his right wing ideologies. However, his excessive use of force and intimidation in achieving his personal international/geopolitical goals will obviously hasten the decline of the American empire.

The American thriving foundation was built on trust, carefulness, and intelligent interrelationships.

Every great empire had similar declining patterns, and Trump is obviously at the edge of the same errors of the dominant Roman or British empires.

It's often significantly start with a huge debt, territorial control/funding, and currency manipulation issues.

For more understanding, check the below clip on the life cycle and the declining trend of a previous empire:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRonwCseFFI

The US will eventually turn Venezuela into another warfare guerilla state. They will then run back to the US.
It will eventually turn into another Libya where you have many warlords claiming to be rhe leader.

Why do you remove democratic elected president to cause unrest in a country.
Is this what they plan for Nigeria?

Libya is still recovering from the democracy democrazy brought to them by USA. Hope this wouldn't repeat in Venezuela.

insidelife22:
Ground invasion loading

Which ground invasion? Americans don't want to die for nothing. While Trump the draft dodging criminal is chilling in Washington along with his family.

It has started. We have seen this before

SpaceX:
All bark and no bite, no militia is capable of challenging Trump.

Tell Trump to come and face them himself instead of hiding behind the innocent US Military personnel.
He's nothing but a fat PDF coward.

SpaceX:
All bark and no bite, no militia is capable of challenging Trump.

Don't prove to us that you wasted your school fees after spending years in school, read the post again and edit the senseless reply you posted.

The Trump administration raised the travel advisory not Tinubu or Peter Obi...

This is the typical thinking of an average Nigerian especially the APC laptop boys here on nairaland.

History repeating itself. Vietnam, Somalia, Iraq , Afghanistan.... You can only succeed where you are welcome.

insidelife22:
Ground invasion loading

History repeating itself. Vietnam, Somalia, Iraq , Afghanistan.... You can only succeed where you are welcome.

I tot Trump loved Christians, he has caused chaos in Venezuela which is a Christian majority nation, abi is it not about drugs again

You course wahala now you want to mater
Na lie

Trump is the only American president head of mafia without any foreign policy. Man's just acting out whatever he feels like based on whichever side of the bed he wakes on a given day. Has Plan A but no Plan B. Now he's throwing Venezuela into a state of anarchy. You want oil? Venezuelans are waiting for your oil execs. Go and get it.

This is going to be a replica of Somalia, Libya, Afghanistan etc. If not worse.

You have destabilize their country now you can't guarantee the 'peace' you said you would offer them

They are now worst than you meant them, Libya all over again

They destabilise your country and start issuing travel warnings.

Namaster:
I thought the COMPROMISED Western Media and their PAID influencers said EVERYBODY and their grandma were out on the streets celebrating the illegal ABDUCTION of Maduro.

Why are the Armed Militia (FREEDOM FIGHTERS, really) now hunting down Americans and American Sycophants?

To thank them?


They are going to DESTABILISE the country and label people who DON'T want the American Criminals in their country TERRORISTS.

I DISAGREE with people who call Trump Dmub.
He's a 2-time President of the US despite being a PDFile and a RAYPIST.

So definitely NOT dmub.
ONLY thing is that his smartness begins and ends with SCAMMING and GRIFTING the BIGGER FOOLS who have been brainwashed with the help of the COMPROMISED Media.

Smart at GRIFTING.
Dmub at EVERYTHING else.

The PDFile labelled the entire government of Venezuela as TERRORIST and says he'll NOT negotiate with them.

Then KIDNAPS the President but leaves the Vice President in CHARGE.
Then PROMPTLY began negotiations with the VP.

MOWRUN!

The BIGGEST LOSER is the opposition candidate who won the Nobel Peace Prize and was expecting to be installed as the New Leader.

he actually said the refusal of that one to denounce the peace prize for him is the reason he won't give her position

Such a cry baby

ScamDemicEra:
... Iraq 2.0, I guess the orange buffoon didn't anticipate this !!!

they are currently inciting irians now to do same and bring down their strong man to have this same "democracy"

It's always about bringing down obstacles to their agenda then leave you naked to lawlessness where they can profit from

Funny enough, the American Congress is keeping records of Trump's flouting of the provisions of the American Constitution.
If he's not restrained now by the Congress and Supreme Court, this insane megalomaniac dottard is dragging the US into WW3.
And if it happens, NK would find a legal grounds to sell its highly sophisticated ICBMs which can strike the US from the opposite side of the Pacific Ocean, or even she would use them herself.
China and Russia have greatly upgraded their missile armoury, nuclear capability.
NK is on another level.
It would be total chaos.

The fruits 🍍🍎🍓🍇🍍🍎🍓🍇🍍🍎🍓🍇🍍🍎🍓🍇 of the US intervention

The problem they created ....
Were they expecting every Venezuelans to be shining teeths with their actions.
Every actions have equal reactions.....
You do me, l do you