By Marvellous Nyang
January 3, 2026
In a dramatic escalation of tensions in Latin America the United States conducted a large‑scale military operation early on Saturday that resulted in Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores being captured and flown out of Venezuela to face criminal charges in the United States.
President Donald Trump announced at a press conference at his Mar‑a‑Lago estate following the operation focused on Caracas and surrounding areas.
According to official US statements the mission codenamed Operation Absolute Resolve involved air and ground strikes against key Venezuelan military facilities and went ahead before dawn.
Venezuelan residents reported a series of explosions and low‑flying aircraft across the capital Caracas shortly before Trump confirmed the capture.
Maduro and Flores were taken into US custody and transported aboard a warship bound for New York where they will be prosecuted on longstanding indictments including drug trafficking and corruption charges brought by federal prosecutors.
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At the press conference Trump described the operation as “successful” and “one of the most stunning displays of American might and competence in American history” declaring that US forces had secured Maduro and his wife and that the United States would “run” Venezuela on an interim basis until a stable political transition could be established.
Trump said the US would allow American oil companies to enter Venezuela to restore and manage that nation’s oil infrastructure and stressed that the mission had been executed in conjunction with US law enforcement agencies and elite units such as Delta Force.
Trump also disclosed that a helicopter was hit during the operation and some US personnel were injured although none were killed.
The Venezuelan government condemned the assault as illegal aggression and demanded proof of life for Maduro and Flores while asserting that US strikes had targeted civilian and military areas sparking fear and chaos.
Venezuela’s vice‑president said Caracas had lost contact with the president and first lady and accused the United States of violating the country’s sovereignty.
International reaction to the operation was sharply divided with governments including Russia, China and Cuba denouncing the United States’ actions as breaches of international law and sovereignty while some regional and opposition figures welcomed Maduro’s removal as a possible turning point for democracy in Venezuela.
The United Nations voiced alarm at the escalation warning that the strikes could threaten peace and security in Latin America and the Caribbean.
The unfolding crisis raises significant legal and diplomatic questions about the authority for the United States’ intervention in a sovereign nation and the future political order in Venezuela amid heightened global scrutiny and concern about regional stability.
