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 called a "large-scale" operation, occurred overnight on Saturday [40942][41088].

Following the capture, Trump stated the United States will now "run" Venezuela, suggesting a move toward direct American control of the South American nation [41055][42114]. He explicitly linked the intervention to Venezuela's vast oil reserves, stating a key goal is to "take back the oil" and fix the country's collapsed oil infrastructure [40871][41227][41525]. Venezuela holds the world's largest proven oil reserves, but its production has plummeted amid economic crisis [40871][41227].

Maduro and his wife have been taken to New York, where they will face criminal charges, including accusations of "narco-terrorism" [40942][40970][41136]. The U.S. has long labeled Maduro's government as illegitimate, accusing it of corruption, human rights abuses, and ties to drug cartels [40668][40970][41136].

The operation has created an immediate power vacuum and deep uncertainty for Venezuela's 30 million people [41136][42114]. There has been no immediate statement from the Venezuelan military or the remaining members of Maduro's government regarding who is currently in charge [41379][41525]. The U.S. has recognized opposition leader Juan Guaidó as Venezuela's legitimate president since 2019, but the path forward for governance remains unclear [40505][41379].

International legal experts have immediately questioned the attack's legality, predicting the U.S. will justify it as an act of self-defense [40942]. 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 international debate [40668][41088].