Venezuelans in North Texas see US intervention as liberation
North Texans react to Venezuela conflict
Nearly 100 people spoke out against President Trump's actions in Downtown Dallas. Others praised them. According to the latest census data, more than 193,000 Venezuelans call Texas home. Thirty percent of them live in the metroplex.
CARROLLTON, Texas - Across North Texas, many Venezuelans are celebrating what they are calling liberation.
After the U.S. struck the nation late Friday night into early Saturday, President Nicolás Maduro and his wife were taken into custody.
American citizens and lawmakers are still divided on the developing situation, but those with ties to the country largely see a change in regime as welcome.
US-Venezuela attack: Maduro latest, North Texas reacts
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro was taken to the United States after a military strike on Saturday morning. The strike has drawn reaction from around the world, including North Texas.
Venezuelan-Americans on US strikes
A demonstrator holds a US and Venezuelan flag outside the Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Florida, US, on Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026. President Nicolas Maduro has been charged in the US after he was captured and flown out of Venezuela, following a series
FOX 4 ventured into areas of North Texas Saturday to speak with a few of those celebrating.
The owner of El Arepazo Vzla in Carrollton, Sinia Gonzales, says they kept their doors open last night as the news of the capture of Maduro started to develop.
She says members of the Venezuelan community started to come in, and they watched together, thinking at first that it wasn’t real until they started receiving confirmation.
The store stayed open until 2 a.m., she says, celebrating a moment they have been waiting for almost 28 years.
Sinia Gonzales
Immigrant reactions
What they're saying:
Gonzales told FOX 4 that she does have a few family members still in Venezuela.
"The few that I have left there are all staying in their homes, but they’re content and happy. Many of them are without electricity or water, but they’re happy because Venezuela is going to be different," Gonzales said.
Texas leaders react to US strikes on Venezuela, capture of Maduro
Texas officials on the Republican side of the aisle generally agree that Maduro is an illegitimate leader and the Trump Administration's decision was warranted, while Democrats are concerned that Trump overstepped his role in authorizing the strike without consulting Congress.
Other people at the restaurant that FOX 4 spoke to said they’re excited to head back to Venezuela as soon as they can and visit their home country.
"All Venzuelans want to return to Venezuela for one reason or another. Most of us left with the hope of returning to Venezuela once again," said Deserene Nechirino, a former resident of Venezuela.
Necherino dreams of one day returning to a renewed country to share with her daughter, who never experienced it before Maduro.
"She doesn’t know Venezuela, its traditions, its foods. The little that she knows is because I taught her, and I want her to know Venezuela, her land. Because she is from there, I want her to know everything about Venezuela," Necherino said.
Deserene Nechirino
U.S. strikes Venezuela, captures Maduro
The backstory:
Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were captured by U.S. forces in Caracas Saturday.
Maduro’s capture was announced by President Donald Trump in an early morning social media post, while Attorney General Pam Bondi later said that Maduro and Flores would face charges in the U.S. after an indictment in New York.
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Live updates: Trump says US will 'run' Venezuela after Maduro captured, arrives in New York
The United States carried out a large-scale strike in Venezuela early Saturday, President Donald Trump said.
Explosions and low-flying aircraft were reported Saturday across Caracas, Venezuela’s capital, with power outages in parts of the city. Maduro’s fall was the culmination of months of stepped-up U.S. pressure on various fronts.
In a news conference later Saturday, Trump said "we're going to run" Venezuela after U.S. forces captured Maduro and his wife. He claimed the American presence was already in place, though there were no immediate signs that the U.S. was running the country.
The Source: Information in this article came from FOX 4 interviews with Venezuelan-Americans in North Texas.