On January 9, 2026, President Trump announced that in light of the Venezuelan government’s release of a significant number of political prisoners and the smooth cooperation between the two countries, he has decided to cancel the planned second wave of military action against Venezuela.
The Venezuelan government began releasing imprisoned opposition members and activists, including foreigners, on January 8. President Trump took to his social media platform, Truth Social, stating, “Venezuela is releasing a large number of political prisoners, a sign of ‘seeking peace’. This is a very important and wise gesture. The cooperation between the U.S. and Venezuela has been smooth, especially in rebuilding its oil and gas infrastructure on a larger scale, better quality, and modernized manner.”
“Based on this cooperation, I have canceled the previously anticipated second wave of military action, which seems unnecessary now; however, for safety and security, all U.S. ships will remain in place,” Trump added. He mentioned, “Oil giants will invest at least one hundred billion dollars, and I will be meeting with them at the White House today.”
The first military strike by the Trump administration against Venezuela took place in the early hours of January 3. At that time, the U.S. conducted airstrikes on the Venezuelan capital, Caracas, and captured the Maduro couple, ending Maduro’s nearly 13-year rule in Venezuela.
After the capture of Maduro, Trump issued a warning, “All political and military figures in Venezuela should understand that what happened to Maduro could happen to them, too, if they mistreat their own people unjustly.”
When the Venezuelan Supreme Court instructed Vice President Delcy Rodriguez to exercise presidential authority as acting president, Trump reiterated his warning that if Rodriguez doesn’t do the right thing, her fate might be worse than Maduro’s. Trump emphasized that if deemed necessary, he would order a second round of military action against Venezuela.
Following Trump’s consecutive warnings, Rodriguez released a conciliatory signal, calling for a “balanced and mutually respectful” relationship between the two countries and inviting Washington to jointly promote a cooperation agenda.
During an interview with Fox News on the evening of January 8, Trump revealed the success he achieved through the deterrence he imposed on Venezuela in the past few days. He stated, “The current Venezuelan government has been ‘highly cooperative’ on relevant matters, ‘giving us everything we have asked for.'”