United States capture Venezuelan president, Nicolás Maduro

2026, January 4

Venezuela

The president of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, has been captured by the United States on Saturday at around 3 am UTC-4, according to a post by US president Donald Trump on social media. Trump has told reporters Maduro had been “in a house that was more like a fortress”, in the country’s capital, Caracas. Trump justified this action by claiming that Maduro is the leader of the Cartel de los Soles, and pushing illegal immigration of dangerous individuals in the United States. Local authorities in Venezuela have requested a United Nations Security Council meeting to be held after the attack.

The BBC reports airstrikes in Caracas targeting La Carlota, an airbase and Fort Tiuna, a military base where the United States suspected Maduro to be located, and in other locations. According to local authorities there has been civilian deaths and injuries, but the exact numbers are still unknown. It was also reported by the BBC that the operation was orchestrated by a CIA infiltration of the Venezuelan government. France 24 reported that the CIA had been monitoring his “every movement since August”, despite Maduro’s efforts to change location regularly. It was also reported that the operation involved more than 150 military aircraft, including one helicopter that was to capture Maduro.

According to the United States authorities, the Delta Force special operation force, arrived at Maduro’s location at “2:01 a.m. local time” and were able to capture him before he could get into his solid steel safe room (sources contradict however, on his exact location at that point. Some sources reported that Trump said Maduro was almost in his safe room whilst others said he was sleeping in his bed). They then relocated the “indicted persons” on a ship after crossing the coastline of Venezuela at 3:29 am. Trump later revealed that Maduro’s wife, Cilia Flores, was also captured, and both were on board the USS Iwo Jima (LHD-7) with destination the southern district of New York, ultimately to be prosecuted. Attorney General Pam Bondi was quoted by the BBC saying “[he will] face the full wrath of American justice on American soil in American courts” and, according to CNN, announced an indictment for leading “state‐sponsored gangs” and supporting drug trafficking.

Venezuelan authorities also reported other strikes, said to be made with the intent of seizing their oil and minerals, and have declared national emergency. They, along with Cuba, Colombia, Iran and Russia, have denounced the action as a “serious military aggression”. Argentine’s president, Javier Milei supported the action. Yván Gil Pinto, Venezuela’s foreign minister, said the country sought an emergency UN Security Council meeting after the attack; and Venezuela’s vice‐president, Delcy Rodríguez called for Maduro and his wife to be released, saying the operation violated the country’s territorial integrity. The BBC stated that these strikes follow a string of more than 30 strikes on Venezuelan vessels, and a strike on a “dock area” in Maracaibo, resulting in the death of more than 110 people. The Trump administration stated that it is engaging in “non‐international armed conflict with […] alleged drug traffickers”. According to the BBC, legal experts doubt the legality of these actions, saying the strikes are not against “lawful military targets”. According to CNN, Trump also justified not advising Congress before the operation to avoid a “leak”, which drew criticisms from Democratic lawmakers.

After the capture, the US Justice Department unsealed an indictment against Maduro in which Maduro and others were charged with “conspiracy to commit narco‐terrorism and conspiracy to import cocaine”. According to the BBC, Maduro has denied this and has said before that Trump’s actual goal is to get access to Venezuela’s oil reserves, as indicated by the United States’ confiscation of several oil tankers.