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, following a large-scale military strike on Venezuela [41033][41227][41379]. The operation, which occurred on a Saturday, marks an unprecedented direct intervention by the United States in the South American nation [41227][41088].

Following the capture, former U.S. President Donald Trump announced that the United States would now "run" Venezuela [41227][41525][42114]. He stated a key objective is to "take back the oil" and fix the country's collapsed oil infrastructure [41227][40871][41525]. Venezuela holds the world's largest proven oil reserves [41227][40871].

Maduro and his wife have been taken to New York, where they face criminal charges including terrorism and narcotics offenses [41136][40942][40970]. U.S. officials have long labeled Maduro's government as illegitimate and accused it of corruption and human rights abuses [41136][40668][41379].

The sudden removal of the president has created a dangerous power vacuum, with no clear successor named to lead Venezuela [41136][40970]. The U.S. has recognized opposition leader Juan Guaidó as the country's legitimate president since 2019, but his current status is unclear [41379][40505].

The international community is awaiting further details, and the long-term plan for governing the crisis-stricken nation remains uncertain [41227][42114][41055].