On January 3, the United States launched air strikes into Venezuela, as well as captured its president, Nicolás Maduro. The U.S. military emerged relatively unharmed from this mission, while causing great damage to Venezuela’s defense systems.
Caracas, Venezuela experienced a large power outage due to the strikes. However, people have begun to speculate this was also a cybersecurity attack poised against civilians in Venezuela. President Donald Trump suggested that the U.S. was behind this blackout, but did not insinuate the possibility of a cybersecurity attack against the country.
Mark Cancian, a senior adviser with the Center for Strategic & International Studies’ defense and security department reveals that some cybersecurity companies such as CYBERCOM and SPACECOM may have infiltrated Venezuela’s infrastructure. However, no one has yet come out with what these companies may have possibly been contributing to the operation.
Possible reasons that the U.S. had succeeded in their mission was the use of CIA covert operations in Venezuela leading up to the attack. Trump has even confirmed the deployment of agents in Venezuela in October of 2025. It was revealed that the United States had keen eyes on the Venezuela’s dictators quarters and was able to pinpoint specific air defense locations around the country,
Currently, Venezuela now has an acting president in charge, Delcy Rodriguez. She is attempting to unite the country together after the capturing of Maduro. The U.S. stated that it would be ‘running the country,’ although afterwards president Trump simply stated he would be backing Rodriguez.
The U.S.’s current pressure and intentions are to have American energy companies investing in Venezuelan oil. Rodriguez’s current position on this topic is that Venezuela has had enough of U.S. orders, and that the country can run itself.
