The U.S. government has sounded the alarm for Americans in Venezuela, issuing an urgent call to leave the country immediately due to escalating dangers.
On Saturday, January 10, 2026, the U.S. Embassy in Caracas released a security alert citing severe risks and the inability to offer emergency assistance, while reports emerged of armed militias setting up roadblocks targeting U.S. citizens amid political turmoil following the removal of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro by U.S. forces on January 3, 2026.
According to Fox News, the unrest began earlier this month when pro-government armed civilians blocked streets in Caracas on January 3, 2026, reacting to the announcement by then-President Donald Trump that Maduro had been captured and taken out of the country.
Now, the situation on the ground has deteriorated further, with armed groups known as ‘colectivos’ reportedly stopping vehicles and hunting for signs of American affiliation.
This alarming development has sparked serious concern, as the U.S. Embassy in Caracas can’t step in to help those in distress.
Critics argue that this chaos is the predictable fallout of years of failed policies and unchecked power grabs in Venezuela, leaving ordinary citizens—American or otherwise—caught in the crossfire.
The U.S. Department of State has long placed Venezuela at its highest travel advisory, Level 4: Do Not Travel, warning of risks like wrongful detention, terrorism, and rampant crime.
"Venezuela has the highest Travel Advisory level – Level 4: Do Not Travel – due to severe risks to Americans," the Department of State emphasized in its guidance.
While that warning isn’t new, the urgency feels sharper now—why would anyone gamble with their safety when even basic consular support has been unavailable since the U.S. withdrew diplomatic personnel in March 2019?
With international flights resuming, the embassy has doubled down on its plea for Americans to get out while they still can. "As international flights have resumed, U.S. citizens in Venezuela should leave the country immediately," the U.S. Embassy in Caracas stated in its January 10, 2026, alert.
That’s a rare window of opportunity in a country where poor infrastructure and civil unrest make every journey a roll of the dice—why wait for the next roadblock?
Adding fuel to the fire, clashes between anti-government demonstrators and state security forces have intensified, while Maduro supporters have taken to the streets protesting his removal by U.S. forces.
It’s a messy, volatile mix—one where Americans are increasingly seen as targets by armed factions loyal to the ousted regime, and the U.S. government is powerless to intervene directly.
Some might say this is what happens when foreign policy prioritizes grand gestures over stabilizing ground conditions, but the reality is that Americans in Venezuela are now paying the price for a broken system they didn’t create.
