Venezuela President Maduro And Wife Captured By US Special Forces Following Military Strikes By Trump: What We Know

US Delta Force Captures Venezuela’s Maduro In Military Operation

Early this morning, the political landscape of Latin America was fundamentally and violently altered. President Donald Trump announced that the United States had launched a large-scale military strike against Venezuela and successfully captured its long-serving leader, President Nicolás Maduro, along with his wife, Cilia Flores. The operation, which involved elite U.S. special forces, represents the most direct U.S. intervention in the region since the 1989 invasion of Panama.

In a post on his Truth Social platform in the early hours of 3 January 2026, President Trump made the stunning declaration. He stated:

“The United States of America has successfully carried out a large scale strike against Venezuela and its leader, President Nicolas Maduro, who has been, along with his wife, captured and flown out of the country.”

Trump added that the operation was conducted “in conjunction with U.S. Law Enforcement” and promised more details at a press conference later in the day.

The Operation And Immediate Fallout

According to officials speaking to the BBC and CBS News, the capture was executed by Delta Force, the U.S. military’s premier counter-terrorism unit. The Venezuelan government, in a state of chaos, has been unable to confirm the location or status of its president. Venezuela’s Vice President, Delcy Rodríguez, stated that the government did not know the whereabouts of Maduro or the First Lady and demanded “immediate proof of life” for them both.

In response to the strikes, Venezuelan Defence Minister Vladimir Padrino López announced a state of national emergency and the full deployment of military forces. In a defiant video address broadcast on state media, he rejected the foreign intervention.

“Free, independent and sovereign Venezuela rejects with all the strength of its libertarian history the presence of these foreign troops, which have only left behind death, pain and destruction,” Padrino said. “Today we clench our fist in defence of what is ours. Let us unite, for in the unity of the people we will find the strength to resist and to triumph.”

The Legal And Political Justification

The United States has accused Maduro of running a “narco-state” and of rigging the 2024 presidential election, which the opposition claims to have won. For months, the Trump administration has built up military assets in the region, including an aircraft carrier and advanced fighter jets, while conducting strikes on vessels it alleged were involved in drug trafficking.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, according to Republican Senator Mike Lee, anticipates no further military action in Venezuela now that Maduro is in custody. Senator Lee posted on X that Rubio stated Maduro would stand trial on criminal charges in the U.S. Lee wrote:

“He [Rubio] anticipates no further action in Venezuela now that Maduro is in US custody… The US strikes were deployed to protect and defend those executing the arrest warrant.”

The legal authority for such a direct military intervention and capture of a foreign head of state remains unclear and is likely to be intensely debated. The Venezuelan opposition, headed by Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Corina Machado, stated on X that it had no official comment on the events.

International Reaction And What Comes Next

The action has drawn swift condemnation from Venezuela’s allies. Iran called it “a blatant violation of national sovereignty” and urged the U.N. Security Council to intervene. The move also revives deep-seated regional sensitivities over U.S. interventionism in Latin America.

The ultimate fate of Venezuela is now uncertain. While some U.S. officials may view this as a successful regime change operation, the loyalty of Venezuela’s military and the complex political landscape pose significant challenges for any transition. The country holds the world’s largest oil reserves, a factor that has long been central to the geopolitical standoff.

As the world waits for President Trump’s promised press conference, the people of Venezuela are left confronting the immediate aftermath of a military strike and the sudden, forced departure of their president.