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| The sun rises, after US President Donald Trump said the U.S. has struck Venezuela and captured its President Nicolas Maduro, in Caracas, Venezuela on January 3, 2026 (REUTERS) |
President Donald Trump announced Saturday that U.S. forces have captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, following a "large-scale strike" on the South American nation. The pre-dawn operation, which involved targeted airstrikes and an elite ground mission, has plunged the region into a state of high alert and potential political transition.
Speaking via Truth Social shortly after 4:30 a.m. ET, Trump declared that the United States had successfully neutralised the leader he has long characterised as a "dictator" and "narco-terrorist". In a subsequent interview with the New York Times, the President described the mission as a "brilliant operation" involving "great, great troops".
The operation began around 2:00 a.m. local time on January 3, 2026, with residents in Caracas reporting at least seven major explosions. Strikes targeted strategic military installations, including the La Carlota airbase and the Fuerte Tiuna military complex. U.S. officials confirmed that members of the Army’s elite Delta Force carried out the specific mission to take Maduro into custody.
Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez appeared on state television to confirm that the government did not know the whereabouts of Maduro or the First Lady. "We demand proof of life," Rodríguez said, labelling the U.S. intervention a "grave military aggression" and a violation of international law. She called on the Venezuelan people to take to the streets in "armed struggle" against the "imperialist attack".
The legal justification for the strike appears rooted in long-standing criminal indictments against Maduro for drug trafficking. US Senator Mike Lee stated that Secretary of State Marco Rubio briefed him on the matter, noting that the actions were intended to execute an arrest warrant. Rubio reportedly told Lee that Maduro will stand trial in the United States and that he "anticipates no further action in Venezuela" now that the leader is in custody.
The timing of the capture is being noted by historians, occurring exactly 35 years to the day after the 1990 arrest of Panamanian leader Manuel Noriega by U.S. forces. Like Noriega, Maduro has been under a $50 million U.S. bounty for information leading to his arrest.
As the smoke clears over Caracas, the future of the Venezuelan government remains uncertain. Under the Venezuelan constitution, the Vice President should assume power, but the heavy military presence and the capture of the top leadership have created a power vacuum. President Trump is scheduled to provide a full briefing on the operation during a press conference at 11:00 a.m. EST at his Mar-a-Lago residence.
