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

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

In an unprecedented military escalation, United States forces have captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, during a large-scale strike on Venezuelan territory. The operation, ordered by the Trump administration, has removed the long-time leader from power and plunged the South American nation into a leadership crisis [41033][41227][41379].

The capture occurred during an overnight operation on Saturday, January 3, 2026, which included airstrikes on targets in the capital, Caracas [40921][41055]. U.S. President Donald Trump announced the action, stating it resulted in the capture and removal of Maduro [40505][41088]. Following the operation, Trump declared the United States would now "run" Venezuela, suggesting a move toward direct American control of the country [41055][42114].

A stated goal of the intervention is to gain control of Venezuela's vast natural resources. President Trump explicitly stated the U.S. intends to "take back the oil," referring to the country's position as holder of the world's largest proven oil reserves [40871][41525]. He further suggested the action was to "fix" Venezuela's collapsed oil infrastructure and ensure American dominance in the hemisphere [41227][41525].

Maduro and his wife have been transported out of Venezuela and are now in U.S. custody [40921][41136]. They face serious criminal charges in a New York court, including accusations of narco-terrorism—using drug trafficking to fund terrorist activities—and running a "narco terrorist organisation" [40942][40970].

The U.S. government has long labeled Maduro's rule as illegitimate, accusing his administration of corruption, human rights abuses, and stealing elections [40668][41136][41525]. For years, the U.S. has recognized opposition figure Juan Guaidó as the country's legitimate president and imposed crippling economic sanctions [41379][40505].

The immediate aftermath has created a dangerous power vacuum, with no clear successor named to lead Venezuela [41136][42114]. The Venezuelan government and its military have not issued an immediate public response to the capture of their head of state [40668][41379]. The operation marks the first major U.S. military attack on South American land and sets a dramatic new precedent for direct intervention [40737][41525].