Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro was captured in a surprise U.S. military operation overnight and flown out of the country early Saturday, a dramatic escalation that President Donald Trump said would allow the United States to temporarily run Venezuela and exploit its vast oil reserves.
The seizure followed months of secret planning and an aggressive pressure campaign by the Trump administration, culminating in the most forceful American attempt at regime change since the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Explosions rocked Caracas before dawn as low-flying aircraft swept over the capital during the operation, which removed Maduro and his wife from a military base where they were staying.
Speaking hours after the capture, Trump said the U.S. would step in to stabilize the country and repair Venezuela’s oil infrastructure while selling “large amounts” of oil to other nations.
“We’re going to run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper, and judicious transition,” Trump said at a Mar-a-Lago news conference, calling the mission an “extremely successful operation” and warning that it should serve as a message to anyone who threatens American lives or sovereignty.
STATEMENT FROM PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP pic.twitter.com/nHDqtsqRFh
— Karoline Leavitt (@PressSec) January 3, 2026
Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were taken aboard a U.S. warship and transported to New York, where they are expected to face prosecution under a Justice Department indictment accusing them of participating in a narco terrorism conspiracy. The U.S. does not recognize Maduro as Venezuela’s legitimate leader.
Venezuela’s vice president denounced the operation, demanded Maduro’s release, and accused the United States of launching an imperialist attack. State television continued broadcasting pro-Maduro programming as supporters gathered in parts of Caracas to protest his removal, even as other areas of the city remained quiet and without power.
The military operation unfolded in less than 30 minutes but included at least seven explosions across Caracas and nearby port areas. Smoke rose from military installations and the La Guaira port as armored vehicles blocked roads leading to the presidential palace. Venezuelan officials said civilians and members of the military were killed, though no figures were provided. Trump said some U.S. forces were injured, but none were killed.
Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said U.S. forces had rehearsed the mission for months, learning intimate details about Maduro’s movements and habits. “We think, we develop, we train, we rehearse, we debrief, we rehearse again and again,” Caine said. “Not to get it right, but to ensure we cannot get it wrong.”
The legal authority for the operation was not immediately clear. While the Trump administration framed the action and earlier strikes on drug smuggling boats as necessary to stop the flow of narcotics, lawmakers from both parties raised concerns that Congress had not authorized the use of military force in Venezuela.
Connecticut Rep. Jim Himes, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said he had seen no justification for the strike and demanded an immediate briefing on the administration’s legal rationale and its plan to ensure regional stability.
Trump later posted a photo on social media showing Maduro in a sweatsuit and blindfold aboard the USS Iwo Jima.
The operation took place on the anniversary of the 1990 U.S. invasion of Panama that led to the capture of Manuel Noriega. Trump said U.S. forces had cut power across much of Caracas as they moved in to extract Maduro.
The same political movement has ruled Venezuela since 1999, when Hugo Chávez rose to power. Maduro succeeded him in 2013 and remained in office following elections widely criticized as illegitimate. Opposition leaders claim evidence shows Maduro lost the 2024 election by a wide margin.
Reactions to his capture were deeply divided. Some Venezuelans took to the streets chanting for Maduro’s return, while others celebrated. In Doral, Florida, home to the largest Venezuelan community in the United States, crowds waved flags, banged pots and pans, and chanted “Liberty! Liberty! Liberty!”
REELated:
Trump defends ICE raids in 60 Minutes interview
