On January 2nd, 2026, Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were seized in their own country by US military forces to face prosecution charges from the Department of Justice, sparking intense global debate over the legality of the operation.
Before his capture, Maduro was perceived by critics as an authoritarian leader who rigged elections in 2018 and again in 2024. However, the charges that led to the detainment of President Maduro and First Lady Flores had little to do with Venezuela’s domestic politics and more to do with narco-terrorism; Maduro and Flores were charged with the importation of illegal cocaine and weapons (e.g., machine guns, destructive devices). Additionally, they were charged for partnering with several gangs tied to drug trafficking.
The US operation took months of planning, with secret intelligence forces following and documenting Maduro’s every move. Simultaneously, elite US military forces trained for the raid by their entry routes in intricate replicas of the Caracas compound where Maduro lived. In August 2025, the US government even offered up to 50 million USD for information that could aid in the detention of Maduro.
After extensive planning and preparation, US President Donald Trump approved the mission, dubbed “Operation Absolute Resolve,” in late December of 2025, without oversight from the US Congress. However, because of unfavorable weather, the mission was postponed to the evening of January 3rd, 2026. US personnel, naval warships, and more than 150 military aircraft were sent to capture Maduro and Flores. Although the targets remained in their residence, the US also released air strikes on many Venezuelan air defense systems and military targets, including Fuerte Tiuna, the biggest military complex of Venezuela.
During the air strikes, US forces quickly invaded the city of Caracas. Troops landed from military helicopters, penetrated Venezuelan defenses and Maduro’s bodyguards, and infiltrated the Venezuelan president’s residence. Before Maduro could lock himself and his wife in the safe room of the compound, the US land forces successfully captured both targets. The invasion of the mission amounted to more than 80 Venezuelan civilian and military troop deaths, as well as 32 Cuban bodyguards who were protecting Maduro. However, no American troops died during the mission.
US President Trump monitored the entire two hours and twenty minutes, alongside US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and CIA Director John Ratcliffe at his Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida. “If you would have seen what happened, I mean, I watched it literally like I was watching a television show,” described Trump shortly after the operation was conducted. Only after the operation had started did Rubio inform Congress.
Maduro and Flores were transported to New York under the watch of numerous law enforcement agents, including the Drug Enforcement Administration. Both Maduro and Flores are being prosecuted in a federal courthouse in lower Manhattan, where they pleaded “not guilty” to all charges. Detained at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, their next court date is March 17, 2026.
The capture of Maduro and Flores triggered an emergency meeting in the UN, where several countries, including France and China, chastised the operation. In response to the many rebukes given, US ambassador Mike Waltz called Maduro a “narcotic fugitive” and claimed the raid was a “law enforcement operation.” Latin American leaders, such as Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, also joined the discourse, as the mission’s nature resembles past US interference in Latin and South America.
Delcy Rodríguez, previously Venezuela’s vice president before Maduro’s capture, will now serve as the interim president of Venezuela. Trump, however, announced that the country will be run by the US until a “safe, proper, and judicious transition” can be performed. Similarly, he has also expressed interest in involving US oil companies with the Venezuelan oil industry. How long Venezuela will be under US control is unconfirmed.
