The US military and pressure campaign to oust Nicolás Maduro

Key momentsthe most covered; every story is below

Who covered it, over timeindependent sources per week, by side

LeftCenterRight

Point at or tap a week to see its count by side.

Stories before June 28, 2026 come from archived pages, so who covered them is limited to the outlets we recovered for that period.

21% left · 65% center · 14% right of 246 independent sources among the outlets we track, across 78 stories.

Every storyoldest first

1. August 2025

   Aug 8Trump doubles reward to $50 million for arrest of Venezuela’s president to face US drug charges16 articles · 11 independent sources

   0 left, 5 center, 2 right
2. Aug 19Venezuela mobilizes its militia after US says it’s deploying military forces to waters around Latin America6 articles · 6 independent sources

   1 left, 2 center, 0 right
3. Aug 29– Sep 2Maduro says Venezuela ready to respond to US military presence in the Caribbean17 articles · 12 independent sources

   4 left, 4 center, 0 right

4. September 2025

   Sep 26– 27U.S. preparing options for military strikes on drug targets inside Venezuela, sources say12 articles · 7 independent sources

   1 left, 2 center, 2 right

5. October 2025

   Oct 3Venezuela says it detected 5 US ‘combat planes’ flying 75km from its coast, calls it a ‘provocation’8 articles · 8 independent sources

   0 left, 2 center, 0 right
6. Oct 6– 7Venezuela says it warned U.S. of alleged plot to bomb embassy in Caracas9 articles · 9 independent sources

   2 left, 2 center, 1 right
7. Oct 10Venezuela asks UN Security Council for emergency session over US military actions in the Caribbean7 articles · 7 independent sources

   1 left, 4 center, 1 right
8. Oct 15– 17Trump confirms CIA operations, prompts questions inside Venezuela50 articles · 35 independent sources

   6 left, 9 center, 6 right
9. Oct 18– 19U.S. Embassy issues warning to Americans in Trinidad and Tobago as tensions with Venezuela escalate8 articles · 8 independent sources

   1 left, 2 center, 2 right
10. Oct 24US deploys Ford carrier strike group to target suspected drug vessels in Western Hemisphere7 articles · 5 independent sources

    0 left, 1 center, 4 right
11. Oct 24– 25U.S. deploys aircraft carrier to Caribbean as strikes on suspected drug boats intensify29 articles · 25 independent sources

    4 left, 13 center, 0 right
12. Oct 24US Military Flew Supersonic B-1 Bombers up to the Coast of Venezuela5 articles · 5 independent sources

    0 left, 2 center, 1 right
13. Oct 24U.S. to send aircraft carrier strike group to Caribbean in an escalation of boat strikes7 articles · 6 independent sources

    0 left, 4 center, 1 right
14. Oct 26Venezuela’s Maduro: U.S. is fabricating war6 articles · 6 independent sources

    0 left, 5 center, 0 right
15. Oct 26US warship docks in Trinidad and Tobago, putting more pressure on Venezuela8 articles · 8 independent sources

    2 left, 3 center, 0 right
16. Oct 28US sought to lure Nicolás Maduro’s pilot into betraying the Venezuelan leader7 articles · 6 independent sources

    0 left, 3 center, 3 right
17. Oct 31Trump Admin Has Decided To Strike Inside Venezuela; Attacks Could Come At Any Time: Report6 articles · 5 independent sources

    2 left, 2 center, 1 right

18. November 2025

    Nov 5Fearing US effort to remove him, Maduro urges Venezuelans to snitch via app7 articles · 7 independent sources

    0 left, 3 center, 0 right
19. Nov 6– 7Senate rejects measure to limit Trump’s military actions against Venezuela6 articles · 6 independent sources

    0 left, 3 center, 0 right
20. Nov 11– 12Venezuela announces ‘massive mobilization’ of military forces as America’s largest warship sails into region11 articles · 10 independent sources

    1 left, 4 center, 1 right
21. Nov 11– 17US aircraft carrier arrives in the Caribbean in major buildup near Venezuela21 articles · 17 independent sources

    2 left, 6 center, 3 right
22. Nov 12– 13How Venezuela’s aging Soviet-era military stacks up against US forces in the Caribbean5 articles · 5 independent sources

    1 left, 2 center, 1 right
23. Nov 12– 14US aircraft carrier nears Venezuela in flex of American military power7 articles · 6 independent sources

    2 left, 2 center, 0 right
24. Nov 17US Adds New Terror Designation to Cartel Linked to Maduro6 articles · 6 independent sources

    1 left, 1 center, 3 right
25. Nov 17– 18Trump says US may have discussions with Venezuela's Maduro as aircraft carrier arrives in Caribbean21 articles · 16 independent sources

    1 left, 7 center, 5 right
26. Nov 22– 27Venezuela suspends flight rights for six foreign airlines amid US tensions17 articles · 14 independent sources

    1 left, 4 center, 5 right
27. Nov 22US warns airlines of potential hazards when flying over Venezuela12 articles · 12 independent sources

    0 left, 4 center, 2 right
28. Nov 23Airlines cancel flights to Venezuela after FAA warns of worsening security, military activity6 articles · 6 independent sources

    1 left, 3 center, 0 right
29. Nov 24– 25U.S. designates Venezuela's Cartel de los Soles a foreign terrorist organization24 articles · 20 independent sources

    4 left, 8 center, 2 right
30. Nov 24Top US military adviser visits Caribbean as Trump ramps up pressure on Venezuela7 articles · 6 independent sources

    1 left, 2 center, 1 right
31. Nov 28Trump says the U.S. will 'very soon' take action on land to stop alleged Venezuelan drug traffickers19 articles · 14 independent sources

    1 left, 6 center, 2 right
32. Nov 28Maduro ramps up repression in Venezuela as he faces growing threats abroad7 articles · 7 independent sources

    0 left, 3 center, 0 right
33. Nov 29– 30Venezuela airspace claimed to be closed53 articles · 44 independent sources

    10 left, 12 center, 12 right

34. December 2025

    Dec 1– 4Venezuela’s Maduro confirms ‘cordial’ call with Trump amid tensions with US7 articles · 6 independent sources

    0 left, 2 center, 3 right
35. Dec 1Maduro resurfaces in Caracas, as Trump says he has spoken to Venezuelan president8 articles · 8 independent sources

    1 left, 2 center, 0 right
36. Dec 2Pope Leo urges against US incursion of Venezuela as he warns Western countries to be ‘less fearful’ of immigrants9 articles · 9 independent sources

    1 left, 3 center, 1 right
37. Dec 2Venezuela will continue accepting deportation flights from U.S. despite Trump's airspace closure assertion5 articles · 5 independent sources

    1 left, 2 center, 1 right
38. Dec 10US deploys fighter jets to Gulf of Venezuela in closest known approach yet, amid rising tension11 articles · 11 independent sources

    1 left, 4 center, 2 right
39. Dec 10– 11US seizes oil tanker off Venezuelan coast96 articles · 55 independent sources

    9 left, 19 center, 12 right
40. Dec 11Noem links the seizure of an oil tanker off Venezuela to US antidrug efforts12 articles · 12 independent sources

    0 left, 3 center, 0 right
41. Dec 11– 12US sanctions Maduro’s nephews and shipping companies it says move Venezuelan oil22 articles · 15 independent sources

    1 left, 4 center, 1 right
42. Dec 12Venezuela says US has suspended deportation flights; US denies it8 articles · 8 independent sources

    1 left, 2 center, 0 right
43. Dec 14– 15JetBlue plane near Venezuela avoids ‘midair collision’ with US Air Force aircraft25 articles · 20 independent sources

    3 left, 4 center, 5 right
44. Dec 15Trinidad and Tobago Will Open Caribbean Nation’s Airports to US Military as Venezuela Tensions Grow5 articles · 5 independent sources

    1 left, 3 center, 1 right
45. Dec 17Asian shares gain, while oil prices jump as Trump orders a blockade of oil tankers to Venezuela5 articles · 4 independent sources

    0 left, 3 center, 0 right
46. Dec 17– 18Trump orders blockade of 'sanctioned oil tankers' entering and leaving Venezuela81 articles · 53 independent sources

    12 left, 13 center, 12 right
47. Dec 20– 22Coast Guard pursuing another tanker helping Venezuela skirt sanctions, US official says72 articles · 40 independent sources

    4 left, 13 center, 12 right
48. Dec 20– 21US forces stop 2nd merchant vessel off coast of Venezuela, American officials say26 articles · 18 independent sources

    2 left, 9 center, 1 right
49. Dec 22Trump holds an event with Rubio and Hegseth during vacation as tensions with Venezuela mount13 articles · 9 independent sources

    0 left, 3 center, 0 right
50. Dec 24– 25White House orders military to focus on ‘quarantine’ of Venezuela oil5 articles · 5 independent sources

    3 left, 1 center, 1 right
51. Dec 29– 30Trump says the U.S. took out a 'big facility' in Venezuela amid strikes on alleged drug boats20 articles · 19 independent sources

    8 left, 3 center, 5 right
52. Dec 29– 31CIA behind strike at Venezuelan dock that Trump claims was used by drug smugglers, AP sources say15 articles · 12 independent sources

    4 left, 4 center, 2 right
53. Dec 29– 30Trump says the US ‘hit’ a facility along shore where he says alleged drug boats ‘load up’33 articles · 23 independent sources

    2 left, 9 center, 2 right
54. Dec 31– Jan 3At least 7 explosions and low-flying aircraft are heard in Venezuela's Caracas16 articles · 14 independent sources

    2 left, 7 center, 0 right

55. January 2026

    Jan 2Maduro open to US talks on drug trafficking, but silent on CIA strike15 articles · 14 independent sources

    2 left, 2 center, 5 right
56. Jan 3– 5US capture of Maduro divides a changed region, thrilling Trump's allies and threatening his foes13 articles · 10 independent sources

    3 left, 2 center, 2 right
57. Jan 3– 6Trump news at a glance: Maduro appears in US court as nations condemn president’s attack on Venezuela270 articles · 107 independent sources

    25 left, 39 center, 21 right
58. Jan 3Democrat and Republican lawmakers react to US strikes on Venezuela and arrest of Maduro16 articles · 3 independent sources

    0 left, 3 center, 0 right
59. Jan 3– 4Who is Cilia Flores, the wife of Nicolás Maduro captured in U.S. operation?21 articles · 14 independent sources

    0 left, 5 center, 1 right
60. Jan 3Who is Nicolás Maduro? Venezuelan president captured by US forces22 articles · 10 independent sources

    1 left, 2 center, 2 right
61. Jan 3Ouster of Maduro government sparks celebrations among Venezuelans in South Florida21 articles · 19 independent sources

    1 left, 6 center, 2 right
62. Jan 3– 5How the U.S. captured Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro64 articles · 38 independent sources

    8 left, 14 center, 6 right
63. Jan 3– 5How the Monroe Doctrine factors into U.S. arrest of Venezuela's Nicolás Maduro14 articles · 9 independent sources

    2 left, 2 center, 2 right
64. Jan 3– 4US military operation in Venezuela disrupts Caribbean holiday travel, hundreds of flights canceled39 articles · 23 independent sources

    3 left, 5 center, 2 right
65. Jan 3US strikes Venezuela and says its leader has been captured and flown out of the country7 articles · 7 independent sources

    3 left, 3 center, 1 right
66. Jan 4– 5Trump’s Potential Next Targets After Venezuela5 articles · 5 independent sources

    1 left, 2 center, 1 right
67. Jan 5– 7Cuban government IDs slain military personnel24 articles · 16 independent sources

    2 left, 4 center, 4 right
68. Jan 6– 7At least 24 Venezuelan security officers killed in U.S. operation to capture Maduro, officials say17 articles · 13 independent sources

    1 left, 7 center, 1 right
69. Jan 8Senate advances resolution to limit Trump’s war powers after Venezuela50 articles · 33 independent sources

    2 left, 14 center, 9 right
70. Jan 9Trump says he has canceled a ‘second wave’ of attacks on Venezuela due to country’s cooperation with US18 articles · 16 independent sources

    3 left, 6 center, 5 right
71. Jan 14– 15Senate Republicans defeat Venezuela war powers resolution as Trump pressures 2 GOP senators to flip39 articles · 23 independent sources

    2 left, 11 center, 5 right
72. Jan 15Remains of 32 Cuban officers killed during strike on Venezuela repatriated as US threat lingers8 articles · 8 independent sources

    2 left, 3 center, 1 right
73. Jan 16Cuba launches mass demonstration to decry US attack on Venezuela and demand Maduro's release8 articles · 8 independent sources

    2 left, 3 center, 0 right
74. Jan 22– 23Republican-led House blocks effort to limit President Trump's war powers in Venezuela16 articles · 16 independent sources

    3 left, 7 center, 3 right

75. February 2026

    Feb 13Trump heads to Fort Bragg to cheer special forces members who ousted Venezuela’s Maduro8 articles · 7 independent sources

    2 left, 2 center, 1 right
76. Feb 25Army pilot wounded in Maduro raid gets Congressional Medal of Honor during Trump's speech10 articles · 5 independent sources

    0 left, 3 center, 1 right

77. April 2026

    Apr 24US soldier charged with using classified intel to win $400K Polymarket bet on Maduro raid50 articles · 35 independent sources

    6 left, 15 center, 5 right
78. Apr 28– 29US soldier pleads not guilty to using intel on Maduro raid to win $400,000 on Polymarket16 articles · 12 independent sources

    1 left, 7 center, 0 right