Fox News reporter Peter Doocy sparked fresh interest in the mysterious weapon claims tied to the U.S. military’s recent capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro when he shared footage of himself being struck by a similar device at Quantico back in 2013. The clip he replayed on Sunday shows Doocy experiencing what the military calls the Active Denial System, a non-lethal crowd control technology that produces an intense heating sensation on the skin when tested — and it looked and felt intense to Doocy at the time.
The resurfaced footage comes amid dramatic eyewitness accounts from Venezuela alleging that U.S. forces used an advanced sonic- or directed-energy weapon during the January 3 raid that ousted Maduro. According to one Venezuelan security guard’s testimony shared publicly, defenders of Maduro were hit with an intense sound-like wave that caused immediate physical effects including nosebleeds, vomiting, and collapse. That same account said defenders were overwhelmed not just by gunfire but by this unidentifiable weapon that broke down their capacity to fight.
NEW: Peter Doocy shows footage of himself being hit by an ‘Active Denial System,’ similar to what was allegedly used during Maduro’s capture.
According to an alleged witness account, Venezuelan soldiers started bleeding through the nose and vomiting during the capture.
“At one… pic.twitter.com/906Ua51cCY
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) January 11, 2026
While U.S. officials have not publicly confirmed use of any sonic or directed-energy system in Venezuela, the White House did repost eyewitness material with an instruction from Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt to “Stop what you are doing and read this,” feeding speculation that there was some truth to the reports.
Veterans of weapons testing and previous DoD demonstrations will recognize the Quantico footage from 2013. Back then, the Department of Defense unveiled the Active Denial System as a non-lethal crowd control tool, meant to disperse hostile crowds or protect perimeters without resorting to live fire. It works by emitting millimeter-wave energy that heats the surface of the skin, causing an instinctive desire to move away. Footage from that era shows Doocy on hand to test the system, describing it as a very hot sensation that quickly makes someone back off.
The connection Doocy drew between his Quantico experience and the Venezuelan testimony is intended to frame the Venezuelan encounter in a real-world context. Critics have questioned the authenticity of the Venezuelan weapon claims, calling them propaganda designed to magnify U.S. capabilities. Supporters argue the eyewitness detail, combined with Doocy’s clip, suggests the possibility of advanced technology being deployed — or at least the perception that such technologies are in play.
Whatever the truth, the reemergence of Doocy’s Quantico clip has become a focal point in ongoing debates about the operation’s tactics and the ever-growing speculation over unorthodox battlefield technologies.