In a stunning development on January 3, 2026, President Donald Trump announced that U.S. forces had successfully captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, during a large-scale overnight military operation. Speaking at a press conference from his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, Trump made it clear that the United States intends to take direct control of Venezuela’s affairs in the immediate aftermath.
“We’re going to run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper, and judicious transition,” Trump declared. He stressed that this temporary oversight is essential to avoid repeating past instability, explaining, “We don’t want to be involved with somebody else getting in and we have the same situation we had for the last long period of years.” Trump described the move as a necessary step to ensure a stable handover of power, preventing another authoritarian figure from rising amid the chaos.
The operation, which Trump called a “spectacular assault” and one of the most impressive displays of American military power in history, involved coordinated strikes from air, land, and sea. U.S. forces, including elite units like Delta Force, targeted heavily fortified sites in Caracas, overwhelming Venezuelan defenses in a matter of hours. Explosions rocked the capital overnight, with fires visible at major military complexes like Fuerte Tiuna and La Carlota airport. Residents reported low-flying aircraft, power outages, and a sense of shock as the raid unfolded in the darkness.
Trump emphasized the mission’s success: no U.S. service members were killed, and no American equipment was lost. Venezuelan military capabilities were “rendered powerless,” he said, with lights in parts of Caracas deliberately turned off using advanced U.S. expertise to aid the nighttime operation. Maduro and his wife were captured from a fortified location in the heart of the city and are now aboard the USS Iwo Jima, heading to New York. There, they face long-standing charges of narco-terrorism, drug trafficking, and related crimes, including allegations that Maduro led the Cartel de los Soles, flooding the U.S. with deadly drugs.
Attorney General Pam Bondi stated that the couple will “face the full wrath of American justice on American soil.” Trump accused Maduro of overseeing a regime responsible for massive drug inflows and regional instability, while praising the raid as a joint effort between the military and law enforcement.
Looking ahead, Trump outlined ambitious plans for Venezuela under U.S. guidance. He promised that major American oil companies would invest billions to repair the nation’s crumbling oil infrastructure, which he described as a “total bust” under Maduro. This “partnership,” Trump said, would make Venezuelans “rich, independent, and safe,” ending years of suffering and economic collapse. He added that the U.S. remains prepared for a second, much larger attack if resistance emerges, though he believes the initial strike’s overwhelming success makes it unlikely.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth echoed Trump’s praise, calling the operation “flawlessly executed” and a demonstration that “America can project our will anywhere, anytime.” Hegseth warned that Maduro “effed around and found out,” framing the capture as a message to adversaries worldwide.
Reactions inside Venezuela were mixed. Opposition leaders, including María Corina Machado and Edmundo González Urrutia—whom many view as the legitimate winner of the disputed 2024 election—hailed the development as a turning point. Machado called it the “hour of freedom,” while González spoke of “decisive hours” ahead for rebuilding the nation. Supporters of Maduro, however, gathered in Caracas streets, protesting what the government labeled “imperialist aggression.” Venezuela declared a national emergency, with officials demanding proof of life for Maduro and condemning the strikes as a violation of sovereignty.
Internationally, responses ranged from concern to outright condemnation. Russia urged the immediate release of Maduro, while European leaders expressed unease over breaches of international law, though stopping short of full denunciation. Questions have also surfaced in the U.S. about the operation’s legality, including whether Congress was consulted or if it required authorization for the use of military force.
This bold intervention marks a major escalation in U.S.-Venezuela relations, building on months of pressure that included naval blockades, strikes on suspected drug vessels, and sanctions. With Maduro removed and U.S. forces poised to oversee the transition, the future of Venezuela now rests heavily in American hands—for better or worse—as the world watches this unprecedented chapter unfold.