Americans Hunted: Venezuela’s Militia Nightmare

A person holding a United States passport next to a suitcase

Armed socialist militias in Venezuela are now stopping cars and reportedly hunting for Americans, forcing the U.S. government to tell its own citizens: get out, and get out now.

Story Snapshot

The U.S. has re‑issued a rare “Do Not Travel – Depart Immediately” order for Americans in Venezuela as armed colectivos target U.S. citizens.
There is still no functioning U.S. embassy in Caracas, meaning stranded Americans have virtually no consular protection on the ground.
The alert comes just days after U.S. forces captured former dictator Nicolás Maduro, raising fears of revenge attacks by loyalist militias.
Corporate evacuation flights, militia roadblocks, and disputed “all is calm” claims from Caracas reveal deep instability behind the regime’s rhetoric.

U.S. Issues Dire Warning as Militia Roadblocks Target Americans

On January 10, the U.S. Embassy responsible for Venezuela issued one of the bluntest messages Washington can send its own citizens: do not travel to Venezuela, and if you are already there, depart immediately using any available commercial option. The warning did not come out of nowhere. Reports describe armed pro‑government colectivos erecting roadblocks, stopping vehicles, and checking for U.S. passports or any sign of support for the United States or its policies.

For an American audience that has watched leftist regimes praised by Western elites as “social justice” models, this is what that ideology looks like when the masks come off. Colectivos have long operated as armed political enforcers, backing the Bolivarian project with intimidation and violence. Now, in the volatile days following Maduro’s capture, those same militias are a direct threat to U.S. citizens, from tourists and missionaries to energy workers and journalists caught in the crossfire.

No Embassy, No Backup: Americans Told They Are On Their Own

The security alert hits harder because there is no functioning U.S. embassy in Caracas to fall back on if something goes wrong. Washington pulled all diplomatic personnel in March 2019 and never restored full operations, pushing consular work to offices in Colombia and the Dominican Republic. That means anyone detained at a roadblock, hospitalized after an attack, or trapped by unrest cannot count on a Marine guard detachment, an emergency passport, or a quick extraction through normal diplomatic channels.

Instead, Americans are being told to get out while commercial flights still operate and before militias or criminal gangs tighten their grip on major routes to the airport and to the Colombian border. Corporate security teams have already begun moving. One major U.S. energy company reportedly chartered a dedicated flight from Venezuela’s main international airport to evacuate dozens of employees and their family members. Others are weighing risky overland convoys toward Cúcuta, even as the same alerts warn that colectivos are manning checkpoints along those roads.

Maduro’s Capture, Regime Loyalties, and the Risk of Retaliation

The timing of the alert is no accident. Just four days earlier, on January 6, U.S. forces captured former Venezuelan strongman Nicolás Maduro in a military operation that electrified global headlines and enraged his remaining loyalists. For years, Maduro’s regime crushed protests, jailed opponents, and relied on colectivos as a street‑level shock force. With their patron in custody and their ideology challenged, those militias now have every incentive to demonstrate defiance by menacing Americans and anyone seen as sympathetic to Trump’s tougher line.

That danger is exactly why the State Department is stressing the risk of wrongful detention, torture in custody, kidnapping, and arbitrary enforcement of vaguely written local laws. In a system where due process is weak and anti‑U.S. sentiment runs hot, a simple traffic stop or visa check can escalate quickly. From a constitutional, conservative perspective, this is what happens when the rule of law collapses under socialism: rights mean nothing, and raw power rules the streets while ordinary people pay the price.

Socialist Collapse, Humanitarian Breakdown, and Biden’s Foreign‑Policy Hangover

Venezuela’s slide into chaos did not begin this week. Years of socialist mismanagement, hyperinflation, and politicized security forces hollowed out institutions, shredded the economy, and drove millions to flee. Under prior U.S. leadership, sanctions were imposed but often muddled by half‑measures, shifting signals, and a broader globalist mindset that tolerated leftist authoritarianism so long as it wrapped itself in anti‑American rhetoric. The result is a broken state where militias and gangs can dominate highways while hospitals lack basic supplies.

For conservatives who value strong borders and clear national interest, the Venezuela crisis is a case study in what happens when elites romanticize revolutionary socialism abroad while undermining security at home. A regime that cannot provide clean water, stable electricity, or credible policing is now expected to protect foreign nationals it accuses of “aggression.” Instead, Venezuelan officials blandly insist the country is in “absolute calm,” framing the U.S. warning as political theater even as Americans scramble for seats on the next plane out.

Corporate Evacuations, Regional Strain, and What Comes Next

The fallout reaches beyond stranded tourists. U.S. and multinational firms that kept skeleton crews in Caracas now face tough choices about shuttering operations, delaying new investment, and pulling back from critical energy and infrastructure projects. Insurance carriers are hiking premiums on evacuation coverage, and risk advisers are quietly telling clients to assume that any embassy reopening will slip well into 2027, if not further. For neighboring Colombia, already strained by migration and security challenges, another wave of desperate cross‑border traffic is the likely short‑term reality.

🚨 𝐔𝐒 𝐈𝐬𝐬𝐮𝐞𝐬 𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐀𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐬

The advisory comes a week after American military forces conducted a mission to capture Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro.

Read here: https://t.co/V0yeBMnALJ

— The Epoch Times (@EpochTimes) January 11, 2026

For Americans watching from home, this story is a sharp reminder of why a strong, constitutional United States matters. When foreign governments collapse into ideological militancy and lawlessness, it is the American passport and the American military that stand between citizens and chaos. Trump’s more forceful stance toward hostile regimes reflects a belief many conservatives share: peace comes from strength, not appeasement. But as Venezuela shows, once socialism has rotted through a country’s institutions, even decisive action cannot instantly rebuild order.