Mobs of motorcycle-riding armed militia hunt Venezuelan streets for Trump supporters as crackdown intensifies

In the aftermath of Nicolás Maduro’s seizure by United States forces, paramilitary groups tied to the Venezuelan leader’s authorities person initiated an assertive run to support power implicit the country.

Mobs of motorcycle-riding civilians often equipped with battle rifles, known as colectivos, have been conducting intrusive searches and establishing checkpoints to place and punish anyone showing enactment for Maduro’s removal from power, Reuters reported.

The National Union of Press Workers of Venezuela reported that equipped forces concisely detained fourteen journalists during Monday's induction of Vice President Delcy Rodríguez arsenic the country’s interim leader. Residents person besides reported that immoderate Venezuelans person been acrophobic to permission their homes, fearing that equipped forces would prehend and scour their phones for signs of dissent, The Telegraph said.

"The aboriginal is uncertain, the Colectivos person weapons, the Colombian guerrilla is already present successful Venezuela, truthful we don’t cognize what’s going to happen, clip volition tell," Oswaldo, a 69-year-old Venezuelan store owner, told The Telegraph.

The colectivos are mostly controlled by Nicolás Maduro’s adjacent ally, Diosdado Cabello, who has a $25 cardinal bounty from the U.S. State Department mostly for his relation successful corruption and cause trafficking.

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Paramilitary members known arsenic "colectivos" rally to protestation Nicolás Maduro's seizure by the United States equipped forces successful the halfway of Caracas, Venezuela, connected January 4, 2026. (Andrea Hernández Briceño/For The Washington Post)

Cabello, who serves arsenic the state's Minister of Interior, Justice and Peace, is wide known for suppressing governmental dissent successful Venezuela. The beingness of colectivos, who often service arsenic an unofficial limb of authorities repression, suggests that Maduro loyalists are desperately trying to support their grip connected the country.

The reported crackdown began with a authorities directive to basal retired dissent against the Venezuelan regime. According to Reuters, a authorities of exigency decree published connected Monday ordered constabulary to "immediately statesman the nationalist hunt and seizure of everyone progressive successful the promotion oregon enactment of the equipped onslaught by the United States."

As idiosyncratic who conducts state-run home espionage done wide coordination of surveillance and counterintelligence agencies, Cabello remains a large unpredictable and unsafe fig successful the aftermath of Maduro’s capture, Reuters reported.

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Nicolás Maduro (C) waves a nationalist emblem astatine the Balcón del Pueblo of the Miraflores Government Palace connected Jan. 23, 2019, successful Caracas, Venezuela. (Edilzon Gamez/Getty Images)

"The absorption is present connected Diosdado Cabello," Venezuelan subject strategist Jose Garcia told the outlet. "Because helium is the astir ideological, convulsive and unpredictable constituent of the Venezuelan regime."

Reuters reported that the former subject serviceman was besides precocious spotted patrolling Venezuelan streets with information forces.

In a societal media station by the Venezuelan government, footage reportedly showed Cabello posing with a assemblage of equipped militia arsenic they shouted, "Always loyal, ne'er traitors."

Reuters added that successful caller weeks, Cabello was besides seen connected tv ordering Venezuela’s subject counterintelligence bureau to "go and get the terrorists" and informing "whoever strays, we volition know."

Paramilitary members known arsenic colectivos flood the streets of Caracas, Venezuela, connected Jan. 4, 2026. (Andrea Hernández Briceño/For The Washington Post)

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He reportedly repeated the aforesaid rhetoric successful a authorities tv quality Saturday, wearing a flak overgarment and helmet and surrounded by heavy equipped guards.

Despite the removal of Maduro, the loyalist crackdown connected dissent and the media suggests that the ruling enactment has nary volition of relinquishing its grip connected power.

Reuters contributed to this report.