Venezuela orders police to hunt down supporters of US attack after Maduro’s arrest
Venezuela’s interim authorities have directed security agencies to begin an urgent nationwide manhunt for individuals accused of aiding a United States-backed military operation that resulted in the removal of President Nicolás Maduro.
The directive, dated Saturday, January 3, bears Maduro’s signature, despite his capture earlier that morning by US forces. He is currently being held in New York, where he faces charges linked to alleged drug and weapons trafficking.
According to the order, police units at the national, state, and municipal levels are instructed to identify, arrest, and prosecute anyone suspected of promoting or supporting what the government describes as an armed attack by the United States against Venezuelan territory.
The decree was formally endorsed by Acting President Delcy Rodríguez and made public on Monday. Although the document was drafted and announced in late September 2025 shortly after the US began a naval deployment near Venezuela its contents had not previously been disclosed.
In addition to authorizing arrests, the directive mandates the militarization of key public infrastructure, including the oil sector and other strategic state industries. Workers in these sectors will temporarily operate under military authority.
The order builds on legislation signed by Maduro in 2024, which imposes severe penalties on Venezuelans found to have supported international sanctions or other foreign actions deemed harmful to the country. Punishments under that law include lifetime bans from holding public office and the confiscation of personal assets.
Speaking in September, then Vice President Rodríguez said the activation of the decree would empower the government to shut down land, air, and sea borders, while launching sweeping economic, political, and social measures aimed at maintaining national stability.
