Trump Cancels Second Wave of Attacks Against Venezuela After Prisoner Release

Trump also said that at least $100 billion would be invested by major oil companies in Venezuela’s energy sector.

President Donald Trump at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Fla., on Dec. 22, 2025. Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images

President Donald Trump said he has canceled a previously anticipated second wave of U.S. military strikes against Venezuela after the country’s interim authorities began to release political prisoners, a move he described as a significant gesture toward peace following the U.S. extraction of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro to the United States to face narco-terrorism charges.

In a Jan. 9 post on Truth Social, Trump said Venezuela was freeing large numbers of political detainees as a sign it was “seeking peace,” calling the decision “a very important and smart gesture.”