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 large-scale military operation, marking an unprecedented direct intervention in the South American nation [41033][41227][41379]. The strike, which occurred on Saturday, January 3, 2026, targeted locations including the capital, Caracas [40921][41088]. Following the capture, former U.S. President Donald Trump announced that the United States would now "run" Venezuela, with a stated goal 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 a severe economic and humanitarian crisis [40871][42114]. 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 leadership vacuum in Venezuela, with no clear successor named [41136][40970]. The U.S. has recognized opposition leader Juan Guaidó as the country's legitimate president since 2019, but the path forward for governance remains unclear [41379][40505]. There has been no immediate public statement from the Venezuelan military or the remnants of Maduro's government [41379][40668]. The capture of a sitting head of state on foreign soil is a rare event in modern history and is expected to trigger a major political crisis and intense international debate over sovereignty [40668][40737][41088]. 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 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