The January 2026 U.S. operation against Nicolás Maduro, involving targeted strikes and a special forces capture on narco-terrorism charges, marked a sharp escalation from prior Caribbean interdictions but stopped short of ground occupation or regime installation. Acting President Delcy Rodríguez has since pursued diplomatic normalization, including sanctions relief in April 2026, while Venezuela manages ongoing humanitarian pressures such as the June earthquakes. Trader assessments of future invasion risk center on whether sustained U.S. control of oil infrastructure, border security, or counter-narcotics goals would require larger-scale troop deployments, weighed against congressional constraints under the War Powers Resolution and limited public support for extended involvement. No major military buildup has been reported since early 2026.