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

U.S. Forces Seize 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, removing the long-time leader from power in a direct military operation [41033][41227][41379]. The strike, which occurred on Saturday, also resulted in the detention of Maduro's wife, Cilia Flores [41227][40970]. Former U.S. President Donald Trump announced the operation, calling it a "large-scale strike" and stating that the United States will now "run" Venezuela [40942][41055][42114]. A central goal of the intervention, according to Trump, is to "take back the oil" and fix the country's collapsed oil infrastructure [41227][40871][41525]. Venezuela possesses the world's largest proven oil reserves, but its production has plummeted amid years of economic crisis [40871][42114]. Maduro and his wife are expected to face criminal charges in a New York court [41136][40871]. Specific charges have not been formally detailed, but reports indicate they include accusations related to terrorism and drug trafficking [40942][40970]. The capture of a sitting head of state on his own soil by a foreign military is a rare event in modern history and marks a direct intervention in the South American nation [40668][41088]. The U.S. has long considered Maduro's rule illegitimate, recognizing opposition leader Juan Guaidó as the country's legitimate president since 2019 [41379][40505]. 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 remnants of Maduro's government regarding succession [41379]. While Trump suggested Maduro's deputy, Delcy Rodríguez, could follow U.S. orders as an interim leader, her compliance is not assured [41525]. The long-term plan for governing Venezuela and stabilizing its broken economy, which suffers from hyperinflation and severe shortages, remains unclear [42114][41055]. The action is expected to trigger a major political crisis and intense international debate over sovereignty and international law [40668][40737]. 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