MAR-A-LAGO — United States military forces captured the now former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, in a predawn raid on Caracas early Saturday, President Donald J Trump announced, declaring that an American delegation will oversee Venezuela until there is a “proper and judicious transition” to new leadership. The operation, dubbed Absolute Resolve, was executed “flawlessly” Secretary of War Pete Hegseth shared without any American casualties.
“They [the Venezuelan people] suffered. They suffered. So much was taken from them. They’re not going to suffer anymore,” Trump stated, promising reimbursements for those who fled to the U.S. to escape Maduro’s regime. “Some of the riches that you should have had for a long period of time it was stolen from you. But you’re gonna have peace and you’re gonna have safety. You’re gonna have justice. You’re gonna have a country. You’re gonna have a real country. You’re gonna have potentially a great country.”
President Trump outlined the future plan for Venezuela where American oil companies will invest billions of dollars into revitalizing Venezuela’s infrastructure, with revenues flowing back to its citizens while the embargo of Venezuelan oil stays in place until there is a successful transition of power.
“We’re going to have our very large United States oil companies, the biggest anywhere in the world, go in, spend billions of dollars, fix the badly broken infrastructure, the oil infrastructure, and start making money for the country,” Trump said.
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA04) praised Operation Absolute Resolve stating that the “United States will no longer allow criminal regimes to profit from wreaking havoc and destruction on our country.”
“Today’s military action in Venezuela was a decisive and justified operation that will protect American lives,” wrote Speaker Johnson on X. “Nicolas Maduro is responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Americans after years of trafficking illegal drugs and violent cartel members into our country — crimes for which he’s been properly indicted in U.S. courts and an arrest warrant duly issued — and today he learned what accountability looks like.”
The move by President Trump ignited backlash from China and Brazil.
China’s foreign minister condemned the action by Trump as “hegemonic behavior.”
“China firmly opposes such hegemonic behavior by the US, which seriously violates international law, violates Venezuela’s sovereignty, and threatens peace and security in Latin America and the Caribbean,” the statement read posted to X.
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva condemned the U.S. operation writing to X, “These acts represent a most serious affront to Venezuela’s sovereignty and yet another extremely dangerous precedent for the entire international community.”
U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres warned the Trump as set a “dangerous precedent.”
Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez was sworn in as president. However, it is unclear if she will remain the country’s president.
“I understand she was just sworn in,” Trump said. “But she was, as you know, picked by Maduro. We’re going to be running it. We’re going to be bringing it back… It’s largely going to be, for a period of time, the people that are standing right behind me.”
Trump described the operation as “one of the most stunning, effective, and powerful displays of American military might and competence in American history,” and a decisive stand against narco-terrorism and regional instability, accusing Maduro of flooding the U.S. with drugs via cartels like the Cartel de los Soles that have killed hundreds of thousands of people.
U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), condemned Trump’s action in Venezuela and the capture of Maduro as unconstitutional and reckless, lacking justification or strategy. She warns of costs, corruption, global instability, and demands congressional oversight.
“He [Trump] must now explain his unhinged statements that we will ‘run’ Venezuela,” Senator Murray released in a statement. “The American people can see for themselves how dishonest and cynical this entire venture is—we’re supposed to believe drug trafficking warrants the use of military force to topple a foreign government.”
The Venezuelan people, having endured years of economic hardship from socialism and violence from gangs like Tren de Aragua, stood to benefit, Trump assured.
Citing the Monroe Doctrine, Trump proclaimed, “Under our new national security strategy, American dominance in the Western Hemisphere will never be questioned again.”
“All political and military figures in Venezuela should understand what happened to Maduro can happen to them, and it will happen to them if they aren’t just, fair, even to their people,” Trump added.
“I’m personally thanking President Trump for his actions,” said Rep. Carlos A. Gimenez (R-FL28) said during an interview on Fox News on Saturday. “It’s in America’s interest to get rid of these narco-terrorists that have been killing hundreds of thousands of Americans.”
María Corina Machado, the foremost political opponent against Maduro proclaimed, “Venezuelans, the hour of freedom has arrived!”
“The time has come for Popular Sovereignty and National Sovereignty to prevail in our country,” she wrote in a press release. “We are going to restore order, free political prisoners, build an exceptional nation, and bring our children back home.
Maduro, indicted in the Southern District of New York for narco-terrorism in 2020, surrendered as U.S. troops breached his compound.
“He was trying to get into a safe place… And he wasn’t able to make it to the door because our guys were so fast,” Trump shared about the moment Maduro and his wife were apprehended. “He made it to the door. He was unable to close it.”
Now aboard the USS Iwo Jima en route to New York, Maduro “will never again be able to threaten an American citizen or anybody from Venezuela,” Trump said, adding that the couple would “face the full might of American justice and stand trial on American soil.”
US Attorney General Pam Bondi disclosed on X that Maduro is charged with Narco-Terrorism Conspiracy, Cocaine Importation Conspiracy, Possession of Machineguns and Destructive Devices, and Conspiracy to Possess Machineguns and Destructive Devices against the United States.
“They [Maduro and his wife] will soon face the full wrath of American justice on American soil in American courts,” AG Bondi wrote on X. “On behalf of the entire U.S. DOJ, I would like to thank President Trump for having the courage to demand accountability on behalf of the American People, and a huge thank you to our brave military who conducted the incredible and highly successful mission to capture these two alleged international narco traffickers.”
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth described the raid as “a massive joint military and law enforcement raid flawlessly executed by the greatest Americans our country has to offer.”
He warned, “Our adversaries remain on notice,” and quipped, “Nicolas Maduro had his chance, just like Iran had their chance, until they didn’t and until he didn’t. He effed around and he found out.”
Hegseth framed it as “America first. This is peace through strength. And the United States War Department is proud to help deliver it. Welcome to 2026.”
General Dan “Razin” Caine elaborated on the mechanics of the operation, praising “our unmatched intelligence capabilities and our years of experience in hunting terrorists, and we could not have done this mission without the incredible work by various intelligence agencies, including the CIA, NSA, and NGA.”
After months of planning, weather cleared to execute Operation Absolute Resolve at 10:46 p.m. Eastern on Friday, January 2. Caine shared that over 150 aircraft—bombers, fighters, rotary wing, F-22s, F-35s, F-18s, EA-18s, E-2s, B-1 bombers, and drones—launched from 20 bases in the region.
“Our youngest crew member was 20 and our oldest crew member was 49,” Caine noted, involving soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines, and guardians.
“I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to the brave men and women who executed this mission,” Caine added.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio rejected Maduro as the illegitimate president of Venezuela.
“Nicolas Maduro was indicted in 2020 in the United States,” Secretary Rubio said. “He is not the legitimate president of Venezuela.”
Venezuela’s elections have been marred by allegations of fraud, particularly since Nicolás Maduro’s rise to power following the death of Hugo Chávez’s in 2013.
The most notable instance occurred during the July 28, 2024, presidential election, where Maduro was declared the winner with 51.2% of the vote, despite widespread evidence suggesting otherwise. The opposition, led by Edmundo González and María Corina Machado, collected 81.21% of ballot tally sheets, indicating González won with 67% against Maduro’s 30%. The regime-controlled National Electoral Council (CNE) delayed result announcements, interrupted data processing, and failed to provide credible evidence, prompting the Organization of American States (OAS) to declare the results untrustworthy on July 30, 2024.
Rubio mocked Maduro at Saturday’s presser for deciding “he’s going to play big boy,” and revealed that Venezuelan intelligence was mainly comprised of “Cubans.”
Operation Absolute Resolve, followed a U.S. buildup starting in August 2025 with destroyers off Venezuela’s coast, escalating to the USS Gerald R. Ford carrier group by October and 15,000 personnel with 11 vessels by December.
In response to the US build up, Maduro has reacted strongly, announcing on August 21, 2025, the mobilization of over 4.5 million militia members to defend against perceived U.S. aggression.
On August 7, 2025, the U.S. Department of State placed a $50 million bounty on Maduro due to his alleged leadership of the “Cartel of the Suns,” a drug trafficking network linked to the Venezuelan government. The U.S. Treasury Department designated the Cartel of the Suns as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist organization on July 25, 2025.
The Maduro’s regime is allegedly linked to narcotrafficking, money laundering, and support for terrorist groups, such as Hezbollah and the ELN (National Liberation Army) in Colombia.
Trump warned Maduro repeatedly, including a December 2025 ultimatum to resign. Hours prior, Maduro hosted a Chinese delegation led by Special Envoy Qiu Xiaoqi at Miraflores Palace.
The only other South American leader to be indicted for operating a narcoterrorism operation was former dictator of Panama, Manuel Noriega, in the late 1980s for drug trafficking racketeering, and money laundering.
Noriega was convicted on July 10, 1992, to serve 40 years in prison which was reduced to 17 years for good behavior. He was released on September 9, 2007, but his incarceration was extended due to extradition requests from other countries. Noriega was ultimately extradited to Panama, where he faced additional charges but died in 2017 while serving his sentence there.
Venezuela, located on South America’s northern coast, gained independence from Spain in 1811 and was characterized by military rule for much of its post-independence history, with 24 constitutions by 1956.
The 20th century saw a transition to democracy in 1958, led by parties like Democratic Action (AD) and Copei, fostering relative stability until economic crises in the 1980s eroded trust.
Hugo Chávez’s 1998 election marked a shift to socialist populism, initiating democratic backsliding with measures like media censorship and electoral manipulation. After his death, Maduro consolidated power, transforming Venezuela into an authoritarian state which saw hyperinflation reaching 1,698,488% in 2018, and a mass exodus of over 7 million people as of 2025.
Author: Mario Lotmore
