Published Tuesday, Nov. 3, 11:30 p.m. ET (12:30 a.m. Caracas) · Source: Fundaredes (Venezuelan rights group), US officials, Venezuelan military source
In the early hours of Friday, Oct. 30, Venezuelan helicopters and drones hit a forested rebel camp near the Colombian border. Now US officials say Washington helped, and the quiet strike has become a test of how far the two governments have drawn together.
The target was a camp of the National Liberation Army, known as the ELN, a Colombian rebel group on the US terrorist list. Our venezuela us tensions guide explains how Caracas and Washington got here.
Key Facts
- What happened: Venezuela’s army struck a Colombian rebel camp in Apure state on Friday, Oct. 30, 2026.
- US role: Four US officials say Washington gave intelligence and drone support. Neither government has confirmed it publicly.
- The toll: Fundaredes, a Venezuelan rights group, now says at least 23 died. Other counts run from eight to 19.
- Prediction markets: Traders on Polymarket, a prediction market, put 3.1% on a US invasion of Venezuela by Dec. 31, 2026 (11:17 p.m. ET, Nov. 3).
This story is part of our coverage of the venezuela us tensions. Dates, times and how to follow it are in our guide.
In plain English
The ELN is a Colombian guerrilla group that has long used Venezuelan border land as a hideout and a cocaine route. Venezuela has been run by Acting President Delcy Rodríguez since a US operation removed Nicolás Maduro, the former president, in January, and the two governments now work together on security.
A Strike in the Border Jungle
Venezuela’s army attacked the camp in a forested, rural part of Apure, a state in the south-west that borders Colombia. Drones and attack helicopters were used, and Fundaredes says the site was a cocaine distribution point.
Neither Caracas nor Washington has put out a formal account. Requests for comment to the US State Department and the Venezuelan government had not been answered when this report went live, and no ELN statement has been found.
Was Washington Behind It?
Four US officials, speaking anonymously because the matter is sensitive, say the United States gave Venezuela intelligence and drone support.
A Venezuelan military source gave a similar account to a news agency, also anonymously. The source said the CIA and the FBI, the US spy and federal police agencies, helped, and that the attack followed an order from the United States.
How Many Died?
Fundaredes, a Venezuelan human rights group that monitors the border, first reported nine deaths, then said ten more bodies had been moved to San Fernando de Apure, the state capital. A later count, reported this week, is at least 23 dead.
Fundaredes says the dead include pilots, suppliers and relatives of ELN members. Juan Francisco García, its coordinator in Apure, gave the earlier counts, while Colombian press reports cite morgue workers who recorded at least eight bodies in San Fernando de Apure, and no official toll exists.
The Wider Picture
Colombia’s defence authorities denied any part in the operation. Colombia’s government, led by President Abelardo de la Espriella, is running its own offensive against the ELN, so the group is now under pressure on both sides of the border.
The strike would be a new step in the security cooperation between Washington and Caracas that followed Maduro’s removal.
What Prediction Markets Say
On Polymarket, a crypto-based prediction market, traders put 3.1% on the United States invading Venezuela by Dec. 31, 2026, with about US$276,000 traded on that contract and US$14.2 million across the whole market (11:17 p.m. ET, Nov. 3; 12:17 a.m. Caracas).
Why we show this: prediction markets turn real-money bets into a live probability that moves within minutes of the news, which is why investors, campaigns and newsrooms in the United States now follow them closely. We show them next to polls and official results, never instead of them.
What It Means for US Readers
If the account holds, Washington is tied to a lethal operation on foreign soil that it has not publicly acknowledged. Oil companies with Venezuelan contracts gain if the border grows safer, while proof of civilian deaths could bring scrutiny in Congress and slow the cooperation.
Watch for a statement from the State Department or the Defense Department, which would confirm the US role. A named list of victims from Fundaredes would settle the toll.
What Is Not Known
The exact toll is open, and reports differ on the victims’ nationalities and the precise location. It is also unknown who flew the drones, whether US forces fired any weapons and whether the camp’s leaders were hit.
The ELN had not commented when this report went live. We will update it when either government adds detail.
More: Venezuela news in English, every day from The Rio Times.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did the United States take part in the Venezuela strike?
Four US officials say it gave intelligence and drone support, and a Venezuelan military source says US agencies helped. Neither government has confirmed this publicly.
How many people died in the Apure strike?
Fundaredes now counts at least 23 dead, while Colombian press reports cite morgue workers recording at least eight bodies in San Fernando de Apure. No official figure exists.
Sources: Fundaredes; Venezuelan military source; US officials; Colombian defence authorities; US State Department; Polymarket.
Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief · Editorial standards · Report an error
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