Just after 4 a.m. Washington time, Trump posted on social media claiming the United States had launched a “large-scale strike” and captured a foreign leader. Within minutes, the message spread fast.
“Successfully carried out a large-scale strike against Venezuela,” Trump wrote. He then claimed Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife were “captured and flown out of the Country.”
The post came hours after residents in Caracas reported loud explosions. Videos showed flames and smoke lighting up the night sky. Witnesses said the blasts shook parts of the capital.
Trump later said the mission was a major success. In a phone interview with The New York Times, he praised the operation and those involved.
“A lot of good planning and lot of great, great troops and great people,” Trump said. “It was a brilliant operation, actually.”
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Soon after, Attorney General Pam Bondi confirmed the administration’s position. She said Maduro and his wife would face serious charges in the United States.
“They will soon face the full wrath of American justice on American soil in American courts,” Bondi said, pointing to charges including “narco-terrorism conspiracy” and “cocaine importation conspiracy,” along with weapons offenses.
Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, have been indicted in the Southern District of New York. Nicolas Maduro has been charged with Narco-Terrorism Conspiracy, Cocaine Importation Conspiracy, Possession of Machineguns and Destructive Devices, and Conspiracy to Possess…
— Attorney General Pamela Bondi (@AGPamBondi) January 3, 2026
Sources familiar with the operation said Maduro was being flown to New York. While officials did not say where he would be held, defendants awaiting trial in Manhattan are often detained at MDC Brooklyn.
More details followed quickly.
The raid was carried out by Delta Force, an elite Army unit. Intelligence from the CIA reportedly pinpointed Maduro’s exact location. Trump had approved the mission days earlier, though earlier plans were delayed.
As news spread, reaction in Washington was split.
Some Republicans praised the move. Senator Rick Scott called it “a new day is here for Venezuela and Latin America.” Senator Tom Cotton said Maduro “wasn’t just an illegitimate dictator; he also ran a vast drug-trafficking operation.”
Democrats were far less supportive.
Senator Ruben Gallego condemned the action, calling it “the second unjustified war in my life time.” He added, “This war is illegal, it’s embarrassing that we went from the world cop to the world bully in less than one year. There is no reason for us to be at war with Venezuela.”
Questions also emerged about legal authority.
Senator Mike Lee said he spoke with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, asking what justified the action without a declaration of war. According to Lee, Rubio said Maduro had been “arrested by U.S. personnel to stand trial on criminal charges in the United States.”
Lee also said Rubio told him he expects “no further action in Venezuela now that Maduro is in U.S. custody.”
Venezuela’s government responded with fury.
Officials condemned what they called “the grave military aggression perpetrated by the current government of the United States of America.” Maduro ordered national defense plans and declared a “state of External Disturbance throughout the national territory.”
Russia also weighed in. Its foreign ministry described the move as “an act of armed aggression against Venezuela” and warned against “further escalation.”
Trump, however, showed no sign of doubt.
Featured image via Political Tribune Gallery
