Venezuela Security and Crime Explained 2026

VENEZUELA · SECURITY

Crime figures have fallen, the army has a new command and Washington now works with Caracas against gangs. Here is what that means for anyone living in or visiting Venezuela.

Venezuela security in October 2026 means lower crime figures, new military commanders and armed groups that still hold border and mining zones. The government says 3 homicides per 100,000 people occurred in 2025, but independent counts are older and far higher.

US forces seized President Nicolás Maduro in Caracas on Saturday, 3 January 2026, and Delcy Rodríguez has led the government since. The United Kingdom says it does not accept the legitimacy of her administration.

For the politics behind these forces, read who holds power in Venezuela. The wider picture is in Venezuela explained and on the Rio Times Venezuela page.

Venezuela Security After Maduro

Venezuelan authorities declared a state of external commotion on 3 January 2026, after the US air strikes, the UK Foreign Office records. The US embassy in Caracas resumed operations in March 2026.

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Two earthquakes on 24 June 2026 damaged transport, infrastructure and emergency services, the US State Department says. La Guaira, the coastal state beside Caracas, is a disaster zone under military control, the UK Foreign Office adds.

The clearest sign of change is security cooperation with Washington. General Francis Donovan, head of US Southern Command, has met Rodríguez and Cabello in Caracas, the Curaçao Chronicle wrote.

Crime Numbers: What the Data Show

Venezuela stopped publishing regular official security data in 2015, InSight Crime notes, so every figure needs a label. The State Department also says reliable crime statistics do not exist.

Rodríguez told the National Assembly on Thursday, 15 January 2026 that Venezuela had 3 homicides per 100,000 people in 2025. The detective agency CICPC put 2024 at 4.1, its then director Douglas Rico said in January 2025.

The independent Venezuelan Violence Observatory (OVV) counts differently, adding police-related deaths and deaths still under investigation. For 2024 it logged 6,884 violent deaths, a rate of 26.2 per 100,000.

Of those deaths, 1,554 were classed as homicides, 767 as police-related and 4,563 as under investigation, the EU Agency for Asylum summarises. Much of the gap with the government’s rate appears to lie in how the unresolved cases are classed.

The OVV’s trend is still downward: 91.8 violent deaths per 100,000 in 2016, 26.8 in 2023 and 26.2 in 2024. The latest OVV national count checked covers 2024, so independent data for 2025 and 2026 are missing.

Analysts credit dollarisation, the end of hyperinflation, police deployments and gangs moving abroad, while OVV director Roberto Briceño-León stresses the economic crisis. InSight Crime adds that groups with territorial control can make a place look calm.

Extortion, Robbery and Kidnapping

Experts say extortion has grown as homicides and robberies have fallen, NTN24 reported in July 2024. Gangs that once ran express kidnappings now demand regular payments, called vacuna, from shops.

No official extortion statistics exist, and the true number of cases is unknown, the EU asylum agency’s country report says. It reports extortion by state security forces, often at checkpoints, where victims pay to avoid fabricated charges.

The State Department lists crime, kidnapping and terrorism among the risks. It says homicide, armed robbery and kidnapping occur and that irregular armed groups can act without warning.

Robberies on public transport and around Maiquetía airport are a particular risk, the UK Foreign Office warns. Both governments advise visitors not to resist an attacker.

Tren de Aragua, the ELN and Other Armed Groups

Tren de Aragua is a gang that began in a Venezuelan prison and reportedly operated in six countries. The US designated it a Foreign Terrorist Organization on 20 February 2025.

On Friday, 12 June 2026 President Donald Trump said US forces had killed its leader, Héctor Guerrero Flores, known as Niño Guerrero. Venezuela’s government confirmed a joint operation in southeastern Bolívar state the same day.

Pete Hegseth, the US war secretary, said Southern Command acted together with Venezuelan forces. Neither government has published the exact site or casualty details, El Diario noted.

Guerrero escaped Tocorón prison in 2023, and Chile issued the first international warrant against him in September 2023. He is also linked to the murder of dissident Ronald Ojeda in Chile, covered in the Ojeda case explainer.

Cabello said on 17 June 2026 that Tren de Aragua had been thrown out of Venezuela. Analysts warn that its international network can keep running without its founder.

The National Liberation Army (ELN) is a Colombian guerrilla group on the US terrorist list since 8 October 1997. InSight Crime estimates about 6,300 fighters, with a strong presence in Bolívar’s gold zone.

FARC dissidents are former fighters who rejected Colombia’s 2016 peace deal. The State Department says they and the ELN cooperate at checkpoints and in drug trafficking.

The International Crisis Group alleges ELN fighters pass National Guard checkpoints unhindered, the EU asylum agency notes. The State Department adds that both groups take part in forced displacement of communities.

Whether Caracas will act against the ELN is open. An InSight Crime analysis of 19 June 2026 asked if the ELN is next, and if Rodríguez can trust her forces.

The Cartel de los Soles is a name for alleged trafficking networks among Venezuelan officers. The US designated it a Foreign Terrorist Organization on 24 November 2025.

A 2020 US indictment accused Maduro and Cabello of leading it, and Maduro is now in US custody. The State Department has offered up to US$25 million for information leading to Cabello’s arrest.

Cabello remains in Venezuela, InSight Crime notes. Details of the reward are in the Rio Times report on the reward and drug certification.

On 30 September 2026 journalist Casto Ocando alleged that Cabello shelters ELN commander Silvana Guerrero in Apure state, Infobae reported. Infobae described no documents and Cabello had not responded, so the claim is unproven.

In the mining south, gangs called sindicatos and prison bosses called pranes run mines and punish workers, the Crisis Group says. Human Rights Watch lists colectivos, armed civilian groups loyal to the ruling movement, among the armed actors there.

The Police, the Army and the Militia

Cabello has led the Interior, Justice and Peace Ministry since August 2024, which gives him control of the police and intelligence agencies. He is also vice president of the ruling United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV).

The police include the Bolivarian National Police (PNB), the CICPC detective agency and the intelligence service SEBIN. The EU asylum agency says state security forces are themselves accused of extortion at checkpoints.

The Special Action Forces (FAES), a police unit accused of extrajudicial killings, were formally dissolved. Activists say officers moved to successor units that repeat the abuses, while the government denies it, JusticeInfo reported in October 2023.

Rodríguez said on Monday, 24 August 2026 that police checkpoints in cities would be removed within days and patrols reinforced. The announcement gave no date, and the UK Foreign Office still describes regular checkpoints and bribe requests.

The armed forces (FANB) consist of the army, navy, military aviation, National Guard and Militia. The Guard carries out random checks at the airport, the UK Foreign Office says.

On 18 March 2026 Rodríguez replaced Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López, in post for over a decade, with General Gustavo González López. González is a former SEBIN director and was head of military counterintelligence, Vanguardia reported.

Security forces also hold political detainees. The rights group Foro Penal counted 322 political prisoners on 5 October 2026, including 140 military personnel and 31 foreigners.

Hotspots, Mining Zones and Prisons

The OVV’s last state ranking, for 2024, put Aragua first at 58.8 violent deaths per 100,000. Distrito Capital, the Caracas district, followed at 48.2, then La Guaira (34.7), Miranda (34.6) and Bolívar (34.2).

Mérida, in the Andes, had the lowest rate in 2024 at 11.6 per 100,000, down 35.1% from 2023. A low rate is no guarantee of safety anywhere in the country.

The Orinoco Mining Arc, across Bolívar and Amazonas, is where armed groups are strongest. Criminal groups control mines, set rules and punish workers, and illegal mining has displaced Indigenous communities.

Drug trafficking concentrates on the Colombian and Brazilian borders and the Atlantic coast, the Crisis Group says. For the gold and oil behind these fights, see Venezuela natural resources explained.

The Venezuelan Prisons Observatory (OVP) counted at least 51 inmate deaths between April and July 2026. It said some died of treatable illnesses such as tuberculosis and severe dehydration.

El Marite prison in Zulia held over 1,000 inmates in space for 700, the OVP said on 7 August 2026. That is about 143% occupancy, and the OVP blamed the penitentiary ministry for lacking political will on health care.

Safer Areas and Practical Advice for Visitors

The US State Department rates Venezuela Level 3, Reconsider Travel, in an advisory dated 27 June 2026. It sets seven Level 4, Do Not Travel, zones listed below.

• The Venezuela-Colombia border region, within 20 miles of the border.
• Amazonas state.
• Apure state.
• Táchira state.
• Aragua state outside Maracay.
• Rural Bolívar state.
• Guárico state.

The UK Foreign Office advises against all travel within 40 km of the borders with Colombia, Brazil and Guyana. It adds Amazonas, the Orinoco Mining Arc and Delta Amacuro south of the river.

All other areas, including Zulia state and Maracaibo, carry advice against all but essential travel. That advice was updated on 14 October 2026.

From Maiquetía airport, the State Department warns against unregulated taxis and ATMs near the terminal. It advises arranging transport in advance and avoiding night travel between cities.

Do not resist a robbery and avoid showing signs of wealth, the State Department advises. Fuel shortages are common, and a US driver’s licence is valid for only 90 days.

US consular help is limited: the Caracas embassy offers emergency services only, and visa services run through Bogotá. The State Department also says it may not be told of a detention, especially of dual nationals.

Maiquetía resumed limited commercial flights on 1 September 2026, the UK Foreign Office says. The US embassy lists a first direct American Airlines flight on 5 May 2026.

A fuller checklist is in the Rio Times safety guide, and flights are in the guide to flying to Caracas. For comparison, see the Chile security guide.

What It Means for US Readers

A Level 3 advisory and emergency-only embassy help mean visitors carry the risk themselves. The State Department warns that direct medical evacuation flights to the United States may not be possible.

The UK Foreign Office warns that travel insurance may be invalid if you travel against its advice. US travellers should check their own policy before booking.

On Friday, 11 September 2026 the US president ruled that Venezuela should no longer be designated as having failed demonstrably on drugs. Venezuela stays on the list of major transit countries, and Afghanistan, Bolivia, Burma and Colombia remain designated as failing.

The Foreign Terrorist Organization labels on Tren de Aragua and the Cartel de los Soles carry legal weight in the United States. Giving material support to such a group is a federal crime.

Oil and gold operators depend on safe roads, mines and ports. Their wider position is in the Venezuela economy key players guide and the geopolitics explainer.

What Is Not Known

No independent national homicide count for 2025 or 2026 was found, and the government’s figure of 3 per 100,000 cannot be verified. The exact site of the June strike, its casualties and the fate of Tren de Aragua’s structure are not public.

It is not confirmed whether the US or Venezuela will move against the ELN. The allegations about Cabello and an ELN commander are unproven, and he had not replied in the sources checked.

Whether police checkpoints have actually been removed from cities was not confirmed. The current head of the CICPC was not confirmed either.

The June earthquakes changed access and emergency capacity, and their lasting effect on policing is not covered by the sources checked. No prediction market on Venezuela’s security was found, so none is shown.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Venezuela safe to visit in 2026?

The US rates Venezuela Level 3, Reconsider Travel, with seven Level 4 zones. Violent crime and kidnapping occur, and embassy help is limited to emergencies.

What is Venezuela’s murder rate?

The government says 3 homicides per 100,000 people in 2025. The last independent count, for 2024, found 26.2 violent deaths per 100,000, including deaths under investigation.

Who is Tren de Aragua?

A gang that began in a Venezuelan prison and reportedly operated in six countries. The US designated it a terrorist organization in February 2025, and its leader was killed on 12 June 2026.

Who runs Venezuela’s police and army?

Diosdado Cabello is interior minister and controls the police and intelligence services. General Gustavo González López has been defense minister since 18 March 2026.

Which parts of Venezuela are most dangerous?

The Colombian border region, Amazonas, Apure, Táchira, Aragua outside Maracay, rural Bolívar and Guárico are Level 4 zones. The Orinoco Mining Arc is also a no-travel zone for the UK.

Is Caracas safe?

Distrito Capital had the second-highest violent-death rate in 2024, at 48.2 per 100,000. Airport transfers, public transport and night travel carry the main risks.

Sources: US State Department, Venezuela travel advisory (27 June 2026); UK Foreign Office, Venezuela travel advice (14 October 2026); UK Foreign Office, safety and security; US Embassy Caracas; Federal Register, Presidential Determination 2026-23 (18 September 2026); US State Department, Foreign Terrorist Organizations; EU Agency for Asylum, Venezuela country focus, security issues; Observatorio Venezolano de Violencia; InSight Crime, Venezuela crime rate; InSight Crime, Diosdado Cabello profile; Teleamazonas (2025 homicide rate); NTN24 (extortion, July 2024); NTN24 (police checkpoints, 24 August 2026); El Diario (Niño Guerrero operation); El Colombiano (Niño Guerrero background); Curaçao Chronicle (SOUTHCOM); Eju.tv (Cabello, 17 June 2026); La Patilla (ELN, InSight Crime analysis); Infobae (Ocando allegations, 30 September 2026); Vanguardia (defence minister, 18 March 2026); JusticeInfo (police units, October 2023); El Diario (Foro Penal, 9 October 2026); El Diario (OVP prison deaths, 7 August 2026); Diario de los Andes (OVV, Mérida) (all accessed 20 October 2026).