President Donald Trump praised the U.S. military after the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, describing the operation as intense and dramatic, “like watching a television show.” Speaking in a phone interview with Fox News from his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida, Trump said he watched the mission live as U.S. forces seized Maduro from what he called a heavily guarded “fortress.”
According to Trump, the United States launched airstrikes on Venezuela before special forces moved in to capture the leftist leader. The operation followed months of pressure from Washington and had originally been approved several days earlier, but was delayed due to bad weather. Trump said the final raid took place Saturday.
Trump claimed that no U.S. troops were killed during the mission, though a few were injured and later returned in stable condition. A U.S. helicopter was damaged but was able to fly out safely. He described the raid as fast and forceful, saying Maduro was caught before he could reach a reinforced safe room designed to protect him.
Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were taken to a U.S. ship and are expected to be transferred to New York. There, they will face charges including drug trafficking, terrorism-related offenses, and weapons crimes. U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said both were indicted in the Southern District of New York, adding that they would soon face trial in American courts. Maduro had already been indicted in 2020, while charges against Flores had not been publicly known before.
Trump said he had spoken to Maduro a week before the operation and urged him to surrender. He also warned that the United States would not allow another leader to simply replace Maduro and continue his policies. Trump did not clearly state whether he supports opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner María Machado as Venezuela’s next president.
U.S. officials strongly defended the operation. Vice President JD Vance said Maduro could not escape justice simply by ruling from a palace in Caracas. Secretary of State Marco Rubio repeated his long-held view that Maduro is not Venezuela’s legitimate president, pointing to elections criticized by international observers.
Trump said the capture sent a clear message that the United States would no longer be “pushed around.” He also warned Mexico to do more to combat drug trafficking. The Trump administration had previously increased the reward for information leading to Maduro’s capture to $50 million, accusing him of leading the so-called “Cartel of the Suns,” a drug trafficking network.
The operation comes despite Trump often calling himself a “peace president.” Just days earlier, when asked about his New Year’s resolution for 2026, Trump replied, “Peace on Earth.”