Intense bursts of gunfire reverberated through the streets of central Caracas on Monday evening, January 5, 2026, in the vicinity of the iconic Miraflores Presidential Palace, heightening fears of renewed instability mere hours after Delcy Rodríguez was officially sworn in as Venezuela's interim president in the aftermath of the U.S.-led military operation that captured and removed Nicolás Maduro.

Eyewitnesses and a source close to the government reported that unidentified drones were observed hovering over the heavily guarded palace complex at approximately 8:00 pm local time, provoking an immediate and forceful response from security forces who discharged anti-aircraft weapons and tracer rounds that streaked across the darkened sky, illuminating the area in intermittent flashes.

Local residents described a scene of widespread confusion and alarm, with one anonymous individual living just blocks away recounting how the sudden outbreak of shooting lasted roughly one minute—far less intense than the pre-dawn raid that ousted Maduro days earlier—and prompted many to peer anxiously from windows, initially mistaking the mysterious red lights in the sky for incoming aircraft rather than drones, while some neighborhoods briefly lost power amid the commotion.

Also Read: AAP Alleges Congress Workers Opened Fire on Victory Rally in Ludhiana

Circulating videos on social media platforms captured the frantic mobilization of armed security personnel converging on the palace grounds, alongside the distinctive trails of tracer ammunition fired skyward, as additional troops and armored vehicles were reportedly deployed to fortify the perimeter in response to the perceived aerial threat.

Government authorities subsequently declared the incident resolved and under control, attributing the defensive gunfire to unauthorized drone incursions over restricted airspace, with no immediate reports of casualties or damage, though the episode underscored lingering tensions and security vulnerabilities in the capital during this precarious transitional period following Maduro's dramatic capture and ongoing legal proceedings in the United States.

Also Read: Kentucky State University Shooting Leaves One Dead, One Injured as Police Arrest Suspect