Incident Code

USVEN260103a

Location

Vicinity of Oscar Machado Zoluaga Airport, Charallave, Miranda, Venezuela

Geolocation

10.286675, -66.853896
Accuracy: Exact location (other)

Airwars Assessment

Last Updated: January 16, 2026

Two civilians, reportedly air traffic control employees, were killed in their car near the Oscar Machado Zoluaga Airport in Charallave, Venezuela by an alleged U.S. airstrike early in the morning on January 3, 2026. The airstrikes reportedly occurred during U.S. operations to capture Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

According to @venezuelast on Telegram, two people were killed after a bomb hit their car near the Oscar Machado Zoluaga Airport during the “aerial bombardment carried out by U.S. troops”. At least two people were reportedly burned to death in a white Arauca car. The Telegram post included two graphic videos showing a car in flames and the remains of the victims.

@venezuelanews21 posted an additional video on Telegram which showed a street sign indicating “Charallave” and “Caracas Maracay”, and then panned over to a white vehicle down the street in flames. The post indicated “civilians killed” in US airstrikes while stating that the official death toll was unknown at the time. Colombian President @petrogustavo later reposted the video on Twitter/X indicating “civilian victims”. There was no additional information found among local sources about the victims.

On January 6th, Aeronoticiasve reported on Facebook that Lenin Ramírez Osorio and Eduardo Soto (Libre), Air Traffic Controllers at Oscar Machado Zoluaga Airport, were both killed in the vicinity of the airport terminal. According to Aeronoticiasve, after bombing was reported in Caracas, airport personnel were instructed to evacuate the airport and while entering the highway, the vehicle was reportedly struck by a missile during the “strategic bombing campaign against airport infrastructure”. Runrun News corroborated the names of the victims while providing context that they had both just finished their shift and Soto Libre was getting into Ramírez Osorio’s car when the missile struck.

The location of the footage of the burning car was geolocated by Bellingcat and posted on Bluesky.

Where sources identified a belligerent, all sources attributed the attack to U.S. forces.

Assessment Updates

16 January 2026
Additional sources which included the names of the two victims were added and the assessment was updated.

Victims

Individuals

Eduardo Soto Libre
Adult male killed
Lenin Ramírez Osorio
Adult male killed

Key Information

Geolocation Notes

Reports of the incident mention a strike in the vicinity of the Oscar Machado Zoluaga Airport in Charallave. This incident was independently geolocated by Dominik (@99Dominik_). Satellite imagery shows the strike location at the following exact coordinates: 10.286675, -66.853896.

Imagery: @99Dominik_

Imagery: @99Dominik_

Military Statements

U.S. Forces Assessment
Suspected belligerent
U.S. Forces
U.S. Forces position on incident
Not yet assessed

Sources (7)

venezuelast
3 Jan 2025

Spanish

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Source ID

373843

Archive URL

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Date

3 Jan 2025

Source Author

venezuelast

Languages

Spanish

Translated Content

✝️🎗️💥🇻🇪🇺🇸 Two people died after a bomb hit a vehicle near the Caracas airport in Charallave. ▪️In the early hours of January 3rd, it was reported that a bomb fell on a car traveling on the Charallave interchange, adjacent to the entrance of the Oscar Machado Zoluaga Airport in the Cristóbal Rojas municipality, Miranda state. ▪️At least two people were burned to death. ▪️The car is presumed to be a white Arauca brand. It was completely destroyed. ▪️It is important to note that, at the time of writing this press release, this was the only incident reported in the Valles del Tuy region of Miranda state amidst the aerial bombardment carried out by US troops in the states of Miranda, Vargas, and Aragua, and in the capital city, where they attacked military installations. ✝️🎗️💥🇻🇪🇺🇸 Two people died after a bomb hit a vehicle near the Caracas airport in Charallave. ▪️In the early hours of January 3rd, it was reported that a bomb fell on a car traveling on the Charallave interchange, adjacent to the entrance of the Oscar Machado Zoluaga Airport in the Cristóbal Rojas municipality, Miranda state. ▪️At least two people were burned to death. ▪️The car is presumed to be a white Arauca brand. It was completely destroyed. ▪️It is important to note that, at the time of writing this press release, this was the only incident reported in the Valles del Tuy region of Miranda state amidst the aerial bombardment carried out by US troops in the states of Miranda, Vargas, and Aragua, and in the capital city, where they attacked military installations.

Content

✝️🎗️💥🇻🇪🇺🇸 Dos personas murieron tras caer bomba sobre un vehículo cerca del aeropuerto Caracas en Charallave▪️En horas de la madrugada de este #3Ene se conoció que una bomba cayó sobre un carro que se desplazaba por el distribuidor Charallave, adyacente a la entrada del aeropuerto Oscar Machado Zoluaga en el municipio Cristóbal Rojas, estado #Miranda.▪️Al menos, dos personas quedaron calcinadas. ▪️Se presume que el carro es marca Arauca, color blanco. El mismo se consumió en su totalidad. ▪️Es importante destacar que, para el momento de redactar esta nota de prensa, este era el único hecho registrado en la región de los Valles del Tuy en el estado Miranda en medio del bombardeo aéreo protagonizado por tropas estadounidenses en los estados Miranda, Vargas y Aragua y en la capital de la República, donde atacaron instalaciones militares. ✝️🎗️💥🇻🇪🇺🇸 Dos personas murieron tras caer bomba sobre un vehículo cerca del aeropuerto Caracas en Charallave▪️En horas de la madrugada de este #3Ene se conoció que una bomba cayó sobre un carro que se desplazaba por el distribuidor Charallave, adyacente a la entrada del aeropuerto Oscar Machado Zoluaga en el municipio Cristóbal Rojas, estado #Miranda.▪️Al menos, dos personas quedaron calcinadas. ▪️Se presume que el carro es marca Arauca, color blanco. El mismo se consumió en su totalidad. ▪️Es importante destacar que, para el momento de redactar esta nota de prensa, este era el único hecho registrado en la región de los Valles del Tuy en el estado Miranda en medio del bombardeo aéreo protagonizado por tropas estadounidenses en los estados Miranda, Vargas y Aragua y en la capital de la República, donde atacaron instalaciones militares.

Media from venezuelast (1)

Bellingcat
4 Jan 2026

Spanish

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Source ID

373846

Archive URL

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Date

4 Jan 2026

Source Author

Bellingcat

Languages

Spanish

Content

Footage showing a burning car and two alleged victims was geolocated nearby at 10.286729, -66.853923 by the Charallave airport. Whether these helicopters were involved in this incident is not clear

Media from Bellingcat (1)

petrogustavo
3 Jan 2026

Spanish

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Source ID

373848

Archive URL

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Date

3 Jan 2026

Source Author

petrogustavo

Languages

Spanish

Translated Content

Civilian victims.

Content

Víctimas civiles.

Media from petrogustavo (2)

venezuelanews21
3 Jan 2025

Spanish

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Source ID

373947

Archive URL

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Date

3 Jan 2025

Source Author

venezuelanews21

Languages

Spanish

Translated Content

🚨🇺🇸🇻🇪 Civilians killed after US airstrikes in Venezuela▪️ The official death toll from the alleged airstrikes is unknown. 🚨🇺🇸🇻🇪 Civilians killed after US airstrikes in Venezuela▪️ The official death toll from the alleged airstrikes is unknown.

Content

🚨🇺🇸🇻🇪 Civiles muertos tras ataque aéreo de aviones estadounidenses en Venezuela▪️ Oficialmente se desconoce el número de fallecidos por los presuntos ataques aéreos. 🚨🇺🇸🇻🇪 Civiles muertos tras ataque aéreo de aviones estadounidenses en Venezuela▪️ Oficialmente se desconoce el número de fallecidos por los presuntos ataques aéreos.

Media from venezuelanews21 (1)

Victim Monitor/ The Hour of Venezuela
10 Jan 2026

Spanish

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Source ID

379508

Archive URL

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Date

10 Jan 2026

Source Author

Monitor de Víctimas/ La Hora de Venezuela

Source Author Translated

Victim Monitor/ The Hour of Venezuela

Languages

Spanish

Translated Content

Authorities were able to confirm that there were two other civilian deaths during the bombing, which are documented, but it was not immediately clear that the victims were civilians. They were air traffic controllers Eduardo Soto Libre and Lenín Ramírez Osorio. Both men worked at the Caracas “Oscar Machado Zuloaga” International Airport in Charallave, in the Tuy Valley. A source close to the victims indicated that both had finished their shift. Ramírez Osorio was going to drive Soto Libre home, and the explosion occurred as Soto Libre was getting into his car. Diosdado Cabello, Minister of the Interior, Justice, and Peace, asserted that a missile struck the vehicle.

Content

pudieron confirmar que hubo otras dos muertes de civiles durante el bombardeo, que están registradas, pero no se tenía la precisión de que las víctimas eran civiles. Se trata de los controladores aéreos Eduardo Soto Libre y Lenín Ramírez Osorio. Los dos hombres trabajaban en el Aeropuerto Internacional Caracas “Oscar Machado Zuloaga”, de Charallave, en los Valles del Tuy. Una fuente cercana a las víctimas indicó que ambos habían terminado su turno. Ramírez Osorio iba a llevar hasta su casa a Soto Libre, y cuando este último se montaba en su carro, ocurrió la explosión. Diosdado Cabello, ministro de Interior, Justicia y Paz, aseguró que un misil alcanzó el vehículo.
Aeronoticiasve
6 Jan 2026

Spanish

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Source ID

379510

Archive URL

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Source URL

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Date

6 Jan 2026

Source Author

Aeronoticiasve

Languages

Spanish

Translated Content

COLLATERAL DAMAGE MOURNS CARACAS AIRPORT: By @AeroNoticiasVE #CHARALLAVE – The national aeronautical community is deeply saddened by the confirmed deaths of Lenin Ramírez Osorio and Eduardo Soto, who worked as Air Traffic Controllers (ATCs) at the Óscar Machado Zuloaga Airport "Caracas Airport" (SVCS), Venezuela. From @AeroNoticiasVE, we extend our sincerest condolences to their families, their colleagues at the Air Navigation Services (SNA), the José Gregorio Hernández Mission Foundation, and IDENNA, institutions that are mourning this irreparable loss for the sector and the country. Details of the Incident: According to information provided to our platform, the tragic event occurred in the early hours of Saturday, January 3, in the vicinity of the airport terminal. Following the reported bombings in the capital, airport personnel received instructions for immediate evacuation to safeguard their physical well-being in the face of escalating operations. In strict compliance with this order, both air traffic controllers began their departure from the airport in a private vehicle. However, while maneuvering to merge onto the highway, the vehicle was struck by a missile. This tragic incident has been classified as collateral damage resulting from a strategic bombing campaign against airport infrastructure. Currently, the relevant authorities are continuing their investigations to clarify the details of this tragic event. Despite the seriousness of the incident, air operations continue under the strict security measures implemented to manage air traffic in the central region. This unfortunate event serves as a wake-up call for the entire aviation community to reflect on the vulnerability of personnel in times of crisis. It is imperative to strengthen protection protocols for those who dedicate their lives to ensuring the safety of air operations in the country. May they rest in peace.

Content

DAÑO COLATERAL ENLUTA AL AEROPUERTO CARACAS: Por @AeroNoticiasVE #CHARALLAVE – La comunidad aeronáutica nacional se encuentra profundamente conmovida tras confirmarse el fallecimiento de Lenin Ramírez Osorio y Eduardo Soto, quienes se desempeñaban como Controladores de Tránsito Aéreo (CTA) en el Aeropuerto Óscar Machado Zuloaga "Aeropuerto Caracas" (SVCS), Venezuela. Desde @AeroNoticiasVE, extendemos nuestras más sinceras palabras de condolencias a sus familiares, a los compañeros de los Servicios de Navegación Aérea (SNA), a la Fundación Misión José Gregorio Hernández y al IDENNA, instituciones que hoy visten de luto ante esta irreparable pérdida para el sector y el país. Detalles del Suceso: De acuerdo con la información suministrada a nuestra plataforma, el trágico evento se registró durante las primeras horas de la madrugada de este sábado 3 de enero en las inmediaciones de la terminal aérea. Tras los bombardeos reportados en la capital, el personal del aeropuerto recibió la instrucción de evacuación inmediata con el fin de resguardar su integridad física ante la escalada de las operaciones. En estricto cumplimiento de dicha orden, ambos controladores iniciaron su retiro del recinto en un vehículo particular. No obstante, mientras realizaban las maniobras para incorporarse a la autopista, la unidad fue alcanzada por un misil. Este lamentable siniestro ha sido calificado como un daño colateral derivado de un bombardeo estratégico ejecutado contra la infraestructura del sector aeroportuario. Actualmente, las autoridades competentes mantienen las investigaciones para esclarecer los detalles de este doloroso desenlace. A pesar de la gravedad del evento, las operaciones aéreas se mantienen bajo las estrictas medidas de seguridad implementadas para gestionar el tránsito aéreo en la región central. Este lamentable suceso representa un llamado a la reflexión para toda la comunidad aeronáutica sobre la vulnerabilidad del personal en tiempos de crisis. Es imperativo fortalecer los protocolos de resguardo para quienes dedican su vida a garantizar la seguridad de las operaciones aéreas en el país. Paz a sus almas

Media from Aeronoticiasve (1)

Geolocation Sources

Media from Sources (6)