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 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 following U.S. military strikes, including in the capital Caracas, on Saturday, January 3, 2026 [40921][41055]. President Donald Trump announced the operation, stating U.S. forces successfully detained Maduro and his wife [40505][41088]. Following the capture, Trump declared the United States would now "run" Venezuela, with a stated goal of accessing and fixing the country's vast oil infrastructure [41227][41525][42114]. Venezuela holds the world's largest proven oil reserves, but its production has collapsed amid years of economic crisis [40871].

Maduro and Flores have been taken out of Venezuela and are expected to face criminal charges in a New York court [41136][40970]. The specific charges include accusations of narco-terrorism, with Trump alleging Maduro ran 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 severe economic sanctions on Maduro's government [41379][40505].

The immediate aftermath has created a dangerous power vacuum, with no clear successor named to lead Venezuela [41136][40970]. The Venezuelan military and remaining members of Maduro's government have not issued an immediate public response [40668][41379]. The action sets a dramatic precedent for direct U.S. military intervention in the hemisphere and is expected to trigger a major political crisis [40668][40737][41525].