U.S. Captures Venezuelan Dictator Nicolas Maduro Following Military Operation in Caracas

Latest Developments

U.S. Raid Leads to Venezuelan President’s Arrest: President Donald Trump announced on January 3 that U.S. forces had arrested Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Celia Flores following a “large-scale strike” on the Venezuelan capital of Caracas. Following the raid, Trump stated that the United States would “run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper, and judicious transition [of power].” U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Dan “Razin” Caine stated that the operation involved more than 150 U.S. military aircraft, including F-22s, F-35s, F-18s, EA-18s, E-2s, B-1 bombers, “and other support aircraft, as well as numerous remotely piloted drones.” After disabling Venezuelan air defense systems, U.S. special forces and law enforcement personnel arrived at Maduro’s compound in helicopters, where agents from the U.S. Department of Justice arrested Maduro and Flores as they attempted to flee to a safe room.
Charges Formally Filed Against Maduro and Flores: U.S.Attorney General Pam Bondi stated that Maduro and Flores have been indicted in the Southern District of New York. According to Bondi, the two have been charged with narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy, possession of machine guns and destructive devices, and conspiracy to possess machine guns and destructive devices against the United States. The United States first issued charges against Maduro for his alleged role in leading the Cártel de Los Soles drug trafficking cartel in 2020, later offering a reward of up to $50 million — the highest in the history of the Narcotics Rewards Program.
World Reacts to Raid: Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called for resistance against the United States, stating that “what matters is that when a person realizes the enemy is arrogantly trying to impose something on the country, on the officials, on the government, and on the nation, one must stand firmly against the enemy and bare one’s chest in resistance.” Russia condemned what it called “an act of armed aggression against Venezuela,” while China’s Foreign Ministry decried the “U.S.’s blatant use of force against a sovereign state and action against its president” in an operation carried out on the same day that a high-level Chinese delegation arrived in Caracas to meet with Maduro and other officials. Speaking for the European Union (EU), High Representative for Foreign Affairs Kaja Kallas said that “the EU has repeatedly stated that Mr. Maduro lacks legitimacy and has defended a peaceful transition,” while Argentine President Javier Milei celebrated the raid, stating, “Freedom moves forward. Long live freedom, dammit.”

FDD Expert Response

“This is the natural culmination of America’s maximum pressure campaign against Venezuela. President Trump signaled his willingness to undertake combat operations for nearly three months — and then he did it. The key to success going forward is how the Trump team deals with Maduro’s cronies to get these criminals out of the country and also how Trump works to assist the opposition, who are the legally elected leaders of Venezuela.” — RADM (Ret.) Mark Montgomery, Senior Fellow and Senior Director of FDD’s Center on Cyber and Technology

“This operation is a decisive message from President Trump that the United States will not tolerate a narco-terrorist regime less than 600 miles from U.S. soil. Maduro’s fall is also a devastating blow to his partners in Beijing, Moscow, Tehran, and Havana, who have kept his regime afloat. The United States has a golden opportunity to support a democratic transition under President-elect Edmundo González and María Corina Machado, in accordance with the will of the Venezuelan people, and to end the narcotrafficking and terrorist threat from Venezuela.”— Connor Pfeiffer, Senior Director of Government Relations