U.S. President Donald J. Trump has announced the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife following what he described as a large-scale overnight military operation in Venezuela’s capital, Caracas.
According to reports from international media and statements issued by Venezuelan authorities, U.S. forces launched coordinated military strikes across parts of Venezuela late on Friday, January 3. The operation reportedly followed weeks of heightened military activity in the Caribbean region and escalating tensions between Washington and Caracas.
In a post shared on his Truth Social platform, Trump said the United States had “successfully carried out a large-scale strike against Venezuela and its leader, President Nicolás Maduro,” adding that Maduro and his wife had been captured and flown out of the country. He noted that the operation was conducted in conjunction with U.S. law enforcement agencies and said further details would be provided at a press briefing.
The strikes came amid an expanding U.S. military campaign in the region. Since early September, American forces have reportedly carried out multiple operations targeting suspected drug-trafficking vessels in the Caribbean and Pacific. This campaign intensified in late December with the seizure of oil tankers traveling to and from Venezuelan ports.
A significant U.S. naval presence had also been assembled in the southern Caribbean in the lead-up to the operation, including guided-missile destroyers, a missile cruiser, and a Marine Corps amphibious ready group deployed aboard Navy landing ships. The USS Gerald R. Ford, the world’s largest aircraft carrier, had also been positioned in the region in recent months.
Ahead of the overnight strikes, Washington had repeatedly accused Maduro of running what it described as a “narco-state” and of rigging Venezuela’s 2024 presidential election, which opposition leaders claimed they won by a landslide. U.S. officials have long alleged that Maduro’s government was deeply involved in drug trafficking and the erosion of democratic institutions.
Maduro, a 63-year-old former bus driver handpicked by the late Hugo Chávez to succeed him in 2013, has consistently denied the allegations. He has accused the United States of seeking regime change and attempting to gain control of Venezuela’s oil resources, which are the largest proven reserves in the world.
A U.S. official speaking to Reuters said Maduro was apprehended during a coordinated mission involving elite American special forces, including units from the U.S. Army’s Delta Force. The official said the operation resulted in Maduro being transferred into U.S. custody.
Republican U.S. Senator Mike Lee later stated that Secretary of State Marco Rubio had briefed him on the situation, saying Maduro is expected to face criminal prosecution in the United States. In a post on X, Lee wrote that Rubio “anticipates no further action in Venezuela now that Maduro is in U.S. custody.”
Maduro was previously indicted by a U.S. federal court in 2020 on charges including narco-terrorism and drug trafficking. Prosecutors accused him of leading the so-called “Cartel de Los Soles,” which they alleged was responsible for trafficking tonnes of cocaine into the United States. Maduro has consistently denied the accusations, calling them politically motivated.
As of the time of this report, tensions remain high as the international community closely watches developments in Venezuela and awaits further official confirmation and details from both governments.
