US military actions against Venezuela intensified in late 2025 with Caribbean naval deployments and strikes on alleged drug vessels, culminating in the January 3, 2026, Operation Absolute Resolve that featured targeted airstrikes on air defenses and infrastructure around Caracas alongside special forces capture of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife on narco-terrorism charges. Maduro was extradited for US federal proceedings, Delcy Rodríguez assumed the interim presidency, and Washington maintained regional military assets while pursuing oil sector influence and diplomatic re-engagement talks. Venezuela prepared guerrilla resistance plans and received limited external support, yet no large-scale ground occupation or sustained combat followed the initial operation. Trader assessments of further US invasion by later 2026 dates hinge on whether ongoing sanctions enforcement, oil infrastructure demands, or regional stability efforts escalate beyond the January precedent, with resolution typically tied to verifiable deployment of significant US combat forces or formal declaration of broader hostilities.