U.S. Forces Capture Venezuelan President Maduro in Unprecedented Military Raid

U.S. Forces Capture Venezuelan President Maduro in Unprecedented Military Raid In a dramatic and unprecedented military operation, United States forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro on Saturday, seizing the sitting head of state from his own capital and transporting him to New York to face drug trafficking charges [41880]. The direct apprehension of a foreign leader on his home soil marks the first attack of its kind in South American history and has sent shockwaves across Latin America [41064]. President Donald Trump announced the capture, stating that the U.S. would oversee Venezuela's government and vowing that "American dominance in the western hemisphere will never be questioned again" [41064]. The precision operation, which also detained Maduro's wife, was carried out in Caracas before the couple was taken out of the country [41880][41460]. The bold strike has exposed a deep political split among regional governments [47126]. Nations historically critical of Maduro, including Colombia and Brazil, have offered cautious support for the action [47297]. Others, like Mexico and Bolivia, have condemned it as a dangerous violation of international law and national sovereignty [47297]. Despite public divisions, analysts report a private, shared fear among leaders of all political stripes that their nation could be next, forcing urgent internal reviews of their own vulnerability [47126][47297]. The United Nations Security Council has called an emergency meeting for Monday at Venezuela's request to address the incident [41880]. Experts warn the operation revives the long-standing U.S. "Monroe Doctrine," a policy of opposing foreign influence in the Americas, and is seen as a direct challenge to China's growing economic and diplomatic reach in the region [41460][45747]. U.S. Capture of Venezuela's Maduro Sends Shockwaves Through Latin America U.S. Capture of Maduro Sends Shockwave Through Latin America U.S. Captures Venezuela's Leader, Challenging China's Regional Reach Venezuela's President Seized by U.S., Faces Court in New York Trump Orders First Direct US Military Attack on South America Trump Revives US Habit of Ousting Latin American Leaders