CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — A Venezuelan official said that an armed group launched an invasion before dawn on Sunday by boats through the port city of La Guaira outside the capital of Caracas.
Interior Minister Nestor Reverol said on state television that Venezuelan forces overcame the attackers and that there were casualties. He did not say who the attackers were, but said they came from neighboring Colombia. He also didn’t indicate how many attackers were involved or what sort of boats and weapons they used.
Reverol called them “mercenary terrorists” intent on overthrowing Venezuela’s government and creating “chaos.” Officials said the attack took place in La Guaira, about 20 miles from Caracas and home to the nation’s largest airport.
“Some were shot and others captured,” he said.
Venezuela has been in a deepening political and economic crisis in recent years under President Nicolás Maduro. Crumbling public services such as running water, electricity and medical care has driven nearly 5 million to migrate.
A coalition of nearly 60 nations back opposition leader Juan Guaidó as Venezuela’s legitimate leader.
The United States has led a campaign to oust Maduro, increasing pressure in recent weeks by indicting the socialist leader as a narcotrafficker and offering a $15 million reward for his arrest. The U.S. also has increased stiff sanctions, cutting off Venezuela’s oil sector to choke Maduro from a key source of hard cash.
(Copyright (c) 2026 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)