Pentagon Pizza Theory Venezuela Strike 2026: When Delivery Orders Predict War

Can a pepperoni pizza predict a military coup? On January 3, 2026, the long-standing Pentagon Pizza Theory went viral again after a sudden surge in food orders near U.S. defense hubs coincided with a major military operation in South America.

How the Pentagon Pizza Theory Predicted the Venezuela Strike 2026

According to the social media tracker 'Pentagon Pizza Report,' Pizzato Pizza in Arlington saw an abnormal spike in traffic at 2:04 a.m. ET. The rush lasted for approximately 90 minutes before the restaurant emptied by 3:44 a.m. ET. This window perfectly aligned with reports of explosions in Caracas, Venezuela.

President Donald Trump later confirmed the strike on Truth Social, describing it as a large-scale operation. He claimed that Nicolás Maduro and his wife were captured during the raid. While the Pentagon officially denies any link between food orders and military planning, the timing has left netizens convinced of the 'Pizza Meter's' accuracy.

A History of the Pizza Meter from the Cold War to 2025

The theory dates back to 1990, when a Domino’s franchise noted a 21-pizza order from the CIA just before the invasion of Kuwait. More recently, in June 2025, similar spikes were recorded before Israel's airstrikes on Iranian facilities under Operation Lion.

Social media users have flooded platforms with memes, joking that "Pizza has better intel than politicians." However, researchers like Zenobia Homan from King's College London remain skeptical, calling for more data to differentiate geopolitical spikes from ordinary late-night cravings.