The United States has urged all of its citizens to leave Venezuela immediately, warning of an increasingly volatile security environment marked by armed paramilitary activity and roadside searches targeting Americans, just days after the dramatic capture of President Nicolás Maduro during a US-led operation in Caracas.
In a security alert issued on Saturday, the US State Department said it had received credible reports that armed members of pro-government militias, known locally as colectivos, were setting up informal roadblocks across parts of the country. According to the alert, vehicles were being stopped and searched for signs that occupants were US citizens or individuals perceived as supporters of Washington.
“US citizens in Venezuela should remain vigilant and exercise extreme caution, particularly when traveling by road,” the State Department said, urging Americans to depart immediately now that limited international commercial flights have begun to resume after days of disruption.
The warning underscores the fragility of security in Venezuela following last weekend’s high-risk special forces raid in the capital, an operation that resulted in the capture of Maduro and left scores dead. While US officials have offered few public details about the mission, President Donald Trump last week claimed that Washington was now effectively “running” the South American country after removing its leadership in a night-time assault.
Speaking to the New York Times, Trump said he hoped to visit Venezuela at some point in the future. “I think at some point it’ll be safe,” he said, suggesting that stability would eventually return. However, the State Department’s alert painted a far less confident picture, highlighting persistent unrest and the possibility of targeted reprisals against Americans.
The aftermath of Maduro’s capture has exposed deep divisions within Venezuelan society. Many opponents of the long-time leader have celebrated his removal, viewing it as the collapse of an authoritarian system that presided over years of economic collapse, mass emigration and political repression. In several neighborhoods of Caracas, residents were seen waving flags and chanting slogans against the former president.
At the same time, supporters of Maduro and the ruling United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) have mobilized in protest, denouncing his transfer to US custody as an act of imperial aggression. Demonstrators loyal to the government have marched through central Caracas, accusing Washington of violating Venezuelan sovereignty and calling for resistance.
The Venezuelan foreign ministry rejected the US security warning outright, dismissing it as politically motivated. In a statement, it said the alert was “based on fabricated accounts aimed at creating a perception of risk that does not exist.”
“Venezuela is in absolute calm, peace, and stability,” the ministry said. “All populated centers, communication routes, checkpoints, and security devices are functioning normally, and all weapons of the Republic are under the control of the Bolivarian Government, the sole guarantor of the legitimate monopoly of force and the tranquility of the Venezuelan people.”
That portrayal contrasts sharply with accounts from journalists and human rights activists on the ground. Reporters in Caracas have described rifle-carrying members of the colectivos patrolling the streets on motorbikes and establishing checkpoints around key districts of the capital. Major roads linking Caracas to western regions of the country have been heavily policed, with dozens of military and police checkpoints slowing traffic and heightening tensions.
US officials confirmed that a small State Department delegation visited Caracas on Friday, in what is widely seen as preparatory work for a potential reopening of the US embassy, which has been closed for years. The visit signals tentative diplomatic engagement with Venezuela’s interim leadership, even as security conditions remain uncertain.
Maduro’s successor, acting president Delcy Rodríguez, has called for improved relations with Washington, striking a conciliatory tone despite her close political ties to the deposed leader. In a brief statement, Rodríguez said Venezuela was open to dialogue and “a new chapter” in bilateral relations, provided the country’s sovereignty was respected.
Meanwhile, Maduro himself has made his first indirect public remarks since being taken into US custody. According to his son, lawmaker Nicolás Maduro Guerra, the former president is being held in a US jail and is awaiting trial alongside his wife, Cilia Flores.
“We are doing well. We are fighters,” Maduro Guerra said in a video released on Saturday by the PSUV, quoting his father. The video showed the younger Maduro standing before party flags, urging supporters to remain calm and united.
As Venezuela navigates the uncertain days following Maduro’s dramatic fall, the State Department’s evacuation call highlights the risks facing foreign nationals caught in the political crossfire. With armed groups active on the streets and the country’s future leadership still in flux, diplomats and observers warn that the coming weeks will be critical in determining whether Venezuela moves toward stabilization—or deeper turmoil.
