Venezuela: Heavy gunfire, possible drone or aircraft noises, reported in Caracas; no official word yet

Hours after Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez was sworn in as the interim leader, heavy gunfire was reported near the Miraflores presidential palace in Caracas. It appears that the gunfire was triggered by sightings of unidentified drones in the area.

As per an account that could not be independently verified, the firing last for at least 45 minutes and some parts of Caracas were without power.

AFP reported witnesses as saying that shots were indeed fired in the late hours of Monday near the presidential palace. A source close to the government told the news agency that the situation was under control.

Unidentified drones flew over the presidential palace in Caracas and security forces opened fire in response around 8 pm, the source said.

Videos of the gunfire have been shared on social media. These videos could not be independently verified.

More from World

Venezuela after Maduro: Delcy Rodriguez sworn in as president after she offers to ‘collaborate’ with Trump Trump warns Venezuela’s new leader Delcy Rodríguez of ‘very big price’ if she defies US

BREAKING: Video shows gunfire and anti-aircraft fire lighting up the skies over Caracas, Venezuela. pic.twitter.com/qWOOM6l3jH

— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) January 6, 2026

A witness said that while gunfire was heard, it was not as strong as the fire on Saturday when American commandoes had swept in Caracas to capture and whisk away President Nicolas Maduro in helicopters.

“The first thing that came to mind was to see if there were planes flying overhead but there were not. I just saw two red lights in the sky. Everyone was looking out their windows to see if there was a plane, to see what was happening,” the witness said, who lives five blocks from the presidential palace.

Quick Reads

View All

Venezuela after Maduro: Delcy Rodriguez sworn in as president after she offers to ‘collaborate’ with Trump

Maduro brought to New York court as UN debates US action in Venezuela

There has not been any official confirmation of gunfire by security personnel or comment about the sightings of drones in Caracas.

Since the US military invaded Venezuela and whisked away Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, to the United States, the country has been on the edge amid fears of further American military action and internal factional violence. While US President Donald Trump appears to have reached a tacit understanding with interim leader Delcy Rodriguez, he has also threatened further action if she would not toe his line.

In the United States, Maduro and Flores are standing trial for narcoterrorism. In his first court appearance, Maduro on Monday pleaded not guilty and said he was still the Venezuelan president.