‘Zionist undertones’: Venezuelan VP, Candace Owens & and online activists blame Israel for Maduro’s capture

With Israel embattled on the world stage due to the ongoing war, anti-Israel activists have increasingly tried to connect Israel to nearly every bad thing happening around the world – and even the U.S. capture of Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro in far-away South America is no exception.

The most headline-grabbing of these accusations came from Maduro’s vice president, Delcy Rodriguez.

Speaking in an address on Saturday, she said, “The governments of the world are shocked that the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela is the victim and target of an attack of this nature, which undoubtedly has Zionist undertones.”

“The extremists who have promoted armed aggression against our country - history and justice will make them pay,” she threatened, calling for the release of Maduro and his wife, while accusing the United States of arresting them in an effort to force regime change and seize the country’s natural resources.

BREAKING: 🚨 🇮🇱 🇻🇪 VENEZUELA BLAMES ISRAEL

Venezuela’s Vice President Delcy Rodríguez blames ZIONISTS for the attack and kidnapping Maduro.

She declares that Venezuela refuses to be enslaved by ZIONISTS.

It really is every single time. pic.twitter.com/jKucV6EqFJ

— ADAM (@AdameMedia) January 3, 2026

By the time Rodriguez’ comments had spread across the internet, the influential network of online activists, podcasters, comedians, and streamers – who some now call the “woke right” – had already sprung into action to blame the Jewish state.

Most members of this loose grouping of increasingly influential (mostly online) voices claim to be part of the American right wing and the “MAGA” movement, despite having swung hard into antisemitism and against Israel and U.S. President Donald Trump, who some of them accuse of being an Israeli, Zionist or Jewish stooge.

Among the most prominent voices within this network is Candace Owens, formerly a pundit on the conservative Daily Wire network, who has “reported” on increasingly fantastical and antisemitic conspiracy theories in recent months, many of them allegedly connected to Israel.

For example, she suspects the Jewish state of involvement in the assassination of avowed Israel-friend, Charlie Kirk.

Candace Owens and Cenk Uygur both blaming Israel for Trump’s extraordinary operation in Venezuela.

It’s no longer a theory.
Horseshoe fact.

The far left and kooky right are derangedly obsessed with the only Jewish state. pic.twitter.com/YUP10cYkKE

— Avi Yemini (@OzraeliAvi) January 3, 2026

Owens also voiced her suspicions about Israel concerning Maduro’s capture by commenting on a video clip showing Tucker Carlson, who is the single most influential voice on this network, praising Maduro for leading the “most socially conservative country, probably in the hemisphere.”

Owens concluded that “Venezuela has been ‘liberated’ like Syria, Afghanistan, and Iraq were ‘liberated.’”

“The CIA has staged another hostile takeover of a country at the behest of globalist psychopaths. That’s it. That’s what is happening, always, everywhere. Zionists cheer every regime change. There has never been a single regime change that Zionists have not applauded because it means they get to steal land, oil and other resources.”

She sarcastically added, “Maduro was trafficking drugs – only the Mossad and the CIA are allowed to do that!”

Venezuela has been “liberated” like Syria, Afghanistan, and Iraq were “liberated”.

The CIA has staged another hostile takeover of a country at the behest of a globalist psychopaths.

That’s it. That’s what is happening, always, everywhere. Zionists cheer every regime change.… https://t.co/F60ouK7qAr

— Candace Owens (@RealCandaceO) January 3, 2026

“The globalists are jews,” clarified Jake Shields, a former Mixed Martial Arts fighter with over 800K followers who regularly spouts outright Nazi propaganda.

Cenk Uygur, host of the far-left Young Turks show on YouTube, seemed to agree that Israel was behind the American operation.

He wrote on 𝕏, “I agree with Steve Bannon that Trump is acting like Hillary Clinton at her neocon peak. Bombing all over the planet (Nigeria, Somalia, Venezuela) and going back into Iran for regime change is completely neocon/establishment behavior. Why do we have to fight all of Israel's wars?”

Several other figures in the “woke right” network, who often host one another on their podcasts, have voiced similar accusations against Israel.

Shields also commented, “In case you're wondering who this war is for,” in response to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s post supporting Trump’s move against Venezuela.

What the whole world wants right now https://t.co/lYjADFBfBB

— Ian Carroll (@IanCarrollShow) January 4, 2026

Podcaster David J. Reilly (with over 40,000 followers on 𝕏) published an AI-altered image of Maduro’s arrest by U.S. troops, replacing his face with the face of Netanyahu and commenting, “What we should have done.”

“Independent researcher” and podcaster Ian Carroll (over 1.3 million followers on 𝕏), who appeared on Tucker Carlson’s show this week, responded, “What the whole world wants right now.”

Comedian and political commentator Leonarda Jonie (260,000 followers on 𝕏), said that it is “pretty disgusting that we go around capturing world leaders on behalf of Israel.”

An argument between Radio host Owen Shroyer (440,000 followers on 𝕏) and Cam Higby, a more conventional conservative journalist, allowed a glimpse into the thinking of anti-Israel activists.

Responding to Shroyer blaming Israel for Maduro’s capture, Higby wrote, “I didn’t think I’d see the day when cleaning up OUR OWN hemisphere would be somehow blamed on Israel.”

Shroyer shot back, “So ignore that Netanyahu's asked for this, ignore he was just with Trump before, ignore before he visited Gabbard said no regime change, ignore Keane, Huckabee & Bibi saying it's great for Israel? Ignore Rothschild support? Ignore Maduro's negative comments on Bibi just before?”

Reilly also responded to a clip of U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, which garnered a significant amount of hateful comments and accusations against Israel.

“It’s literally all about Israel. They’re saying so themselves!! These people are working for Anti-Christ,” he wrote.

“There are large groups of people who hate Zionism when done by Israelis but love it when done by Americans. Hypocrites,” wrote the anonymous channel AdameMedia (over 470,000 followers on 𝕏) amid a flurry of posts supporting Venezuela and slamming the U.S. move.

In support of his theory, AdameMedia also reposted a video clip of Maduro spouting antisemitic comments, and declaring, “This is why he had to go.”

“Venezuela President Maduro on Israel: ‘They have sown an ideology more dangerous than Nazism. They justify raids, extermination, genocide, and atomic bombs, they'll come for the Christians, Catholics.’ This is why he had to go,” he said.