U.S. Forces Capture Maduro in Venezuela Raid; 40 Dead Near Caracas, Trump Confirms

U.S. special operations forces conducted a dramatic pre-dawn raid on Saturday, January 3, 2026, capturing Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores in a lightning-fast operation that lasted less than 30 minutes.

“In 2017, the first Trump administration imposed sanctions on Venezuelan oil, amid claims of a humanitarian crisis unfolding under Mr Maduro's leadership”

ABC News

The assault, dubbed 'Operation Absolute Resolve,' involved multiple explosions, low-flying aircraft, and coordinated strikes against military installations in and around Caracas, including the Generalissimo Francisco de Miranda Air Base, Port La Guaira, Higuerote Airport, and Fuerte Tiuna military complex.

ABC News

According to U.S. officials, the operation was carried out by Delta Force, an elite special operations unit, along with the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, using over 150 aircraft to neutralize air defenses and facilitate the capture.

Maduro was reportedly seized just steps from the steel doors of his high-security Ft Tiuna military compound, which U.S. troops blasted through 'a matter of seconds,' as described by President Trump following the operation.

The military operation resulted in significant casualties and immediate chaos in Venezuela, with Venezuelan officials reporting that at least 40 people, including both civilians and military personnel, were killed in the strike.

Multiple explosions shook Caracas early Saturday morning, with witnesses reporting seven distinct blasts that sent people rushing into the streets while others took to social media to document the attacks.

ABC7 New York

Smoke was observed rising from military installations, including the hangar of a military base in Caracas and La Carlota airport, while footage showed tracers and smoke clouding the landscape as repeated explosions illuminated the night sky.

In one particularly devastating incident, a strike hit a three-story apartment complex in Catia La Mar, killing 80-year-old Rosa Gonzalez and her family, according to The New York Times.

Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez appeared on state television declaring that the government did not know the whereabouts of Maduro and Flores, demanding 'proof of life' and calling the attack an 'imperialist attack' that urged citizens to take to the streets in protest.

President Trump immediately claimed responsibility for the operation, announcing on his Truth Social platform that 'The United States of America has successfully carried out a large scale strike against Venezuela and its leader, President Nicolas Maduro, who has been, along with his wife, captured and flown out of the country.'

“United States President Donald Trump has said the US has carried out a “large-scale strike” against Venezuela and “captured” the country’s leader, President Nicolas Maduro”

Al Jazeera

The U.S. president characterized the raid as both a law enforcement action and an act of war against drug trafficking networks he claimed are protected by the Venezuelan state, stating 'We had to do it because it's a war.'

Attorney General Pam Bondi unsealed a new indictment accusing Maduro and Flores of participating in a narco-terrorism conspiracy, with charges including Narco-Terrorism Conspiracy, Cocaine Importation Conspiracy, and weapons possession.

Trump announced that the United States would 'run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition,' marking a significant assertion of U.S. control over Venezuela's government and potentially its vast oil reserves.

Maduro and his wife were transported to the U.S.S. Iwo Jima before being flown to Stewart Air National Guard Base in New York, where they were held at the Metropolitan Detention Center to face criminal charges.

The capture of Maduro triggered sharply divided international reactions, with some world leaders celebrating the removal of the Venezuelan leader while others vehemently condemned the operation as a violation of international law and sovereignty.

Argentine President Javier Milei 'celebrated' the capture, calling it 'a decisive step forward' against narco-terrorism and oppression, while El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele posted a photo of the captured Maduro.

AP News

Nobel Peace Prize winner María Corina Machado, Venezuela's opposition leader, declared 'the hour of freedom has arrived' and thanked Trump for his 'firmness and determination.'

In contrast, Brazilian President Lula da Silva condemned the operation as 'a most serious affront to Venezuela's sovereignty,' warning it could represent 'the first step toward a world of violence, chaos, and instability.'

Colombian President Gustavo Petro demanded immediate UN intervention, stating 'the Colombian government rejects any unilateral military action that could worsen the situation or put the civilian population at risk.'

Russia, Cuba, Iran, and Mexico also issued strong condemnations, with Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel labeling the operation 'an act of state terrorism' and reporting that 32 Cuban military personnel were killed in the bombings.

The operation raised profound legal questions about international law and the use of force, with legal experts analyzing whether the U.S. action violated the United Nations Charter's prohibition on the use of force.

Just Security's analysis concluded that the operation 'is clearly a violation of the prohibition on the use of force in Article 2(4) of the UN Charter,' noting that unlike previous U.S. operations in international waters, this strike occurred within Venezuelan territory and involved the abduction of a sitting head of state.

AS/COA

The analysis pointed out that while the U.S. might argue self-defense based on allegations of drug trafficking, the conditions required for lawful self-defense were not met, as there was no evidence of an 'armed attack' against the United States.

The operation also triggered the application of international humanitarian law, potentially making Maduro and other Venezuelan nationals in the U.S. entitled to protections under the Geneva Conventions.

Venezuela's government declared 'a state of external disturbance' and ordered 'all national defense plans to be implemented,' while Foreign Minister Yvan Gil demanded an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council to address what he called the 'aggression against the sovereignty of Venezuela and of Latin America.'