Caracas grew safer after police raids killed thousands, reporting says, as Venezuela leaves ICC

Crime in Caracas has plunged after police raids killed thousands, according to reporting by The New York Times.

The reporting describes a capital where street crime has fallen sharply following sustained police operations that left thousands dead. It links that drop to the use of lethal force by security forces in poor neighborhoods.

The same reporting says Venezuela is withdrawing from the International Criminal Court (ICC), which had maintained an office in Caracas. Venezuela notified the United Nations of its withdrawal in July 2026, according to Reuters.

Venezuelan officials have called the decision to leave the court "irrevocable," according to Reuters. They alleged geographical bias in the court's work.

In December 2025, Venezuela's National Assembly unanimously voted to repeal a law paving the way for withdrawal from the court. In January 2025, the court closed its office in Caracas, citing lack of cooperation from Venezuela's government.

Internal government data reviewed by Reuters recorded 5,280 people who died at the hands of all the country's police after "resisting authority." The figures cover police killings documented in internal records.