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][41227][41379]. The operation, which included airstrikes and a raid, was ordered by the administration of former U.S. President Donald Trump [41055][42114].

Following the capture, Trump stated that the United States would now "run" Venezuela, suggesting a period of direct American control [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 [40871][41227][41525].

Maduro and his wife have been taken out of the country and are expected to face criminal charges in a New York court [41136][40970]. The specific charges include accusations of narco-terrorism and running a drug trafficking organization [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 leader and imposed crippling economic sanctions [41379][40505].

The immediate aftermath has created a severe 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 remaining members of Maduro's government, and no clear successor has been named [41379][41136]. Analysts warn the unilateral action sets a dangerous global precedent for military intervention [40737][41525].