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 In a dramatic and unprecedented escalation, United States military forces have captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, following a series of strikes on Venezuelan territory. The operation, which occurred on Saturday, January 3, has removed the long-time leader from power and plunged the South American nation into a leadership crisis [41033][41227][41379]. Former U.S. President Donald Trump, who announced the operation, stated that the United States will now "run" Venezuela [41227][41055][42114]. He emphasized a key goal is to "take back the oil" and fix the country's collapsed oil infrastructure, aiming to access Venezuela's vast proven reserves, the largest in the world [40871][41227][41525]. Maduro and his wife have been taken to New York, where they will face criminal charges, including terrorism and drugs offenses [41136][40871][40942]. U.S. officials have long labeled Maduro's government as illegitimate, accusing it of corruption, human rights abuses, and stealing elections [41136][40668][41525]. The immediate aftermath has created a dangerous power vacuum, with no clear successor named within Venezuela [41136]. The U.S. action represents a direct military intervention in a sovereign nation, a move that analysts say sets a dangerous global precedent and marks a major shift in foreign policy [40737][41525]. The Venezuelan government has not issued an immediate public response, and the status of the country's military and remaining officials is unclear [40668][41379]. The long-term plan for governing Venezuela's 30 million people remains uncertain. The nation is already suffering from a profound economic collapse, hyperinflation, and a severe humanitarian crisis despite its oil wealth [42114][40871]. 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