In a dramatic escalation of hemispheric tensions, United States special forces executed a lightning military operation in Caracas on Saturday resulting in the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife. The pre-dawn assault combined precision airstrikes targeting key military installations with a ground operation that extracted the controversial leader from his compound.
President Donald Trump announced the successful mission at a Florida press conference, declaring the U.S. would now ‘run’ Venezuela and utilize its substantial oil reserves. ‘We’re going to be running it with a group,’ Trump stated, indicating cabinet officials accompanying him would oversee the transition. The Republican leader surprisingly dismissed opposition figure Maria Corina Machado as a potential successor, instead suggesting openness to working with Maduro’s deputy Delcy Rodriguez.
The operation involved approximately 150 aircraft and leveraged extensive intelligence gathering on Maduro’s daily routines. General Dan Caine confirmed the captured leader surrendered without resistance and was being transported to New York to face narcotics and terrorism charges. The assault triggered widespread alarm internationally, with China condemning the action and the United Nations expressing concern about violations of international law.
Venezuelan residents described waking to explosions and military helicopter activity around 2 a.m. local time, with airstrikes persisting for nearly an hour. The capital subsequently fell into an eerie silence as police secured public buildings and smoke drifted through streets near bombed installations. The Trump administration provided shifting justifications for the intervention, citing drug trafficking, migration concerns, and energy interests at various points.