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, marking an unprecedented escalation in the long-standing political crisis [40668][40970][41088]. The strike, which former U.S. President Donald Trump described as a "large-scale" operation, occurred overnight on Saturday [40942][41088]. Following the capture, Trump announced that the United States intends to "run" Venezuela, suggesting a move toward direct American control of the South American nation [41055][42114]. He stated a key goal is to "take back the oil," referring to Venezuela's vast proven crude reserves, the largest in the world [40871][41227][41525]. Maduro and his wife were reportedly flown out of the country and are now in U.S. custody [40921][40970]. They face criminal charges in a New York court, including accusations of "narco-terrorism" and running a "narco terrorist organisation" [40942][40970]. U.S. officials have long labeled Maduro's government as illegitimate, accusing it of corruption, human rights abuses, and ties to drug cartels [40668][41136][40970]. The operation has created an immediate leadership vacuum and deep uncertainty for Venezuela's 30 million people [41136][42114]. No clear successor has been named, and it is unclear who is currently governing the country [40970][41136]. The Venezuelan government and military have not issued an immediate public response [40668][41379]. 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 political crisis and intense international debate over sovereignty and international law [40668][40737][40942]. 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