U.S. Forces Capture Venezuelan President Maduro in Military Strike, Plan to "Run" Country

U.S. Forces Capture Venezuelan President Maduro in Military Strike, Plan to "Run" Country U.S. military forces have captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, in a direct military operation on Venezuelan soil [41033][41227][40970]. The unprecedented strike, which occurred on Saturday, January 3, 2026, marks a dramatic escalation in the long-standing conflict between Washington and Caracas [41088][40737][40921]. Following the capture, former U.S. President Donald Trump announced that the United States would now "run" Venezuela [41227][41055][42114]. He stated a key objective is to "take back the oil" and fix the country's collapsed oil infrastructure [41227][40871][41525]. Venezuela holds the world's largest proven oil reserves, but its production has plummeted amid years of economic crisis [40871][41227]. Maduro and his wife have been taken to New York, where they face criminal charges including terrorism and narcotics offenses [41136][40942][40970]. U.S. officials have long labeled Maduro's government as illegitimate, accusing it of corruption, human rights abuses, and ties to drug trafficking [41136][40668][40970]. The operation has created an immediate power vacuum and deep uncertainty for Venezuela's 30 million citizens [41136][42114]. There has been no immediate statement from the Venezuelan military or the remaining members of Maduro's government regarding succession [41379][40668]. The U.S. has recognized opposition leader Juan Guaidó as Venezuela's legitimate president since 2019, but the path forward for governance is unclear [41379][40505]. International legal experts have immediately questioned the legality of the attack, predicting the U.S. will justify it as an act of self-defense [40942]. The capture of a sitting head of state by a foreign military is a rare event in modern history and is expected to trigger a major international debate over sovereignty [40668][41088][40505]. U.S. Forces Capture Venezuelan President in Military Strike Venezuela Leader Ousted in U.S. Strike, Faces Charges in New York US Strikes Venezuela, Captures President Maduro U.S. Captures Venezuela's President in Secret Operation U.S. Forces Capture Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro US Strikes Venezuela, Abducts President Maduro US Captures Venezuelan President in "Large-Scale Strike" U.S. Military Strike Captures Venezuelan Leader Maduro U.S. Captures Maduro: What Now for Venezuela? US Seizes Venezuelan President, Vows to "Run" Country and "Take Back the Oil" U.S. Claims Capture of Venezuelan Leader in Military Strike U.S. Strikes Venezuela, Captures President Maduro US Captures Venezuelan President in Military Strike U.S. Strikes Venezuela, Captures President Maduro Venezuelan President Captured in U.S. Military Raid