The governor of La Guaira provided the first damage assessment from Venezuela's Catia La Mar base over the past 59 minutes ending at 7:45 a.m. UTC on January 7, 2026, identifying the damaged area as the former site of air defense unit 393 GMDA where BUK systems were stored, according to an X post by @ConflictsW. The assessment was shared via video from the location, as stated in the X post during the reporting window from 6:45 a.m. UTC. This follows the U.S. Delta Force capture of Nicolás Maduro in Caracas last Saturday, January 3, 2026, amid ongoing Venezuelan military site evaluations. Separately, the Financial Times exclusively reported that Mexico overtook Venezuela to become Cuba's top oil supplier in 2025, according to industry data, as posted on X by @FT in the same period. The report noted U.S. President Donald Trump renewed his vow to strike Mexican cartels after Maduro's capture. This oil shift occurs as three U.S.-sanctioned tankers previously operating in Venezuelan waters now fly the Russian flag, according to a New York Times update shared on X by @trbrtc before 6:45 a.m. UTC today. Venezuelan regime adjustments continue, including Delcy RodrĂguez's appointment of U.S.-sanctioned Gustavo González LĂłpez as DGCIM director earlier on January 7.
