U.S. Captures Maduro in Daring Raid, Executes Large-Scale Strike in Venezuela

In a dramatic escalation of U.S.-Venezuela tensions, President Donald Trump announced on January 3, 2026, that U.S. forces had successfully captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, during a large-scale military strike in Caracas. The operation, carried out by the Army's elite Delta Force with CIA intelligence support, involved coordinated strikes targeting military installations across Caracas, Miranda, Aragua, and La Guaira states. Explosions were heard around 2:00 AM local time, with witnesses reporting plumes of smoke and fireballs lighting the night sky. The capture was made possible after the CIA identified Maduro's precise location, with Trump giving the green light several days prior. The operation was initially planned for Christmas Day but was delayed due to military operations in Nigeria and weather conditions. Maduro and his wife were flown to New York to face federal charges including narco-terrorism conspiracy and cocaine importation conspiracy. The Venezuelan government declared a state of external disturbance and activated national defense plans, while Russia condemned the action as armed aggression. Approximately 15,000 U.S. military personnel were already positioned in the Caribbean region, including the USS Gerald Ford aircraft carrier, as tensions had been escalating for weeks.