The United States’ military strike on Caracas on Saturday—along with the capture of President Nicolás Maduro—marks the climax of nearly two decades of escalating tensions between Washington and Venezuela.
The rift began with sanctions imposed in 2006 and steadily deepened through political, economic, and military confrontations.2006:
First Sanctions On Venezuela
Relations between the two countries deteriorate sharply after Hugo Chávez, a prominent leftist leader in Latin America, comes to power in 1999.In 2006, the administration of President George W. Bush bans the sale of US weapons and military equipment to Venezuela, citing its failure to cooperate in counterterrorism efforts. By 2010, both nations have withdrawn their ambassadors.
2014: Human Rights Accusations
Following Chávez’s death in 2013, his chosen successor Nicolás Maduro assumes the presidency. In late 2014 and early 2015, the Obama administration imposes sanctions on senior Venezuelan officials, freezing their US-based assets and restricting travel. Washington accuses Caracas of human rights violations during violent crackdowns on anti-government protests.
2017: Trump Raises the ‘Military Option’
In 2017, the first Trump administration imposes financial sanctions on top officials, including members of Venezuela’s supreme court, accusing them of undermining parliament, which had fallen under opposition control in late 2015. After Maduro establishes a Constituent Assembly to bypass parliament, the US sanctions him personally and freezes his US assets. President Trump publicly raises the possibility of a “military option” in Venezuela—remarks he repeats in subsequent years. Washington also bars the purchase of Venezuelan government bonds and debt issued by the state oil company, PDVSA.
2019: Sanctions Intensified
After Maduro’s re-election—widely dismissed by Washington and its allies as fraudulent—the US significantly tightens economic sanctions in 2019, aiming to cripple the economy and force Maduro from power.Venezuela cuts diplomatic ties after the US and dozens of other countries recognise opposition leader Juan Guaidó as interim president. Guaidó’s parallel government is later dissolved in 2023. Additional sanctions are imposed on PDVSA and Venezuela’s central bank.
2019: Oil Embargo
On April 28, 2019, Washington imposes a full oil embargo and freezes all Venezuelan government assets held in the United States.The embargo is partially eased in 2023 to offset global oil shortages following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. It is later reinstated after the US accuses Maduro of failing to guarantee a free and fair 2024 presidential election, in which opposition leader María Corina Machado—a future Nobel Peace laureate—is barred from running. At the start of his second term in early 2025, President Trump revokes oil licences that had allowed foreign energy companies to operate in Venezuela. Chevron is later permitted to resume limited operations in July, though without transferring funds to the Venezuelan government.2020.
Bounty on Maduro In 2020
US prosecutors charge Maduro and several close allies with “narco-terrorism,” offering a $15 million reward for information leading to his arrest.The reward is raised to $50 million in August 2025. Washington accuses Maduro of leading the so-called “Cartel of the Suns,” an allegation whose existence experts say remains unproven.
The US begins a major military buildup in the Caribbean. By September, American forces conduct deadly airstrikes on vessels allegedly linked to drug trafficking, accusing Venezuela of facilitating narcotics flows into the United States. On December 10, Washington announces it has seized an oil tanker off Venezuela’s coast, prompting Caracas to denounce the move as international piracy. On December 29, President Trump claims US forces destroyed a coastal docking facility allegedly used by drug traffickers—the first confirmed land strike in the campaign.2026.
Caracas Attacked, Maduro CapturedOn January 3
US forces launch a series of airstrikes in and around Caracas. President Trump announces that American troops have captured Nicolás Maduro and his wife and flown them out of Venezuela.The Venezuelan government condemns the action as an “extremely serious military aggression” and calls for an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council.
This dramatic escalation underscores how years of sanctions, diplomatic isolation, and political confrontation have culminated in direct military intervention, reshaping the future of US–Venezuela relations.