Trump’s Delta Force CAPTURES Maduro in Venezuelan Strike
In the early hours of January 3, 2026, U.S. President Donald Trump announced a stunning military operation that resulted in the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. Dubbed Operation Absolute Resolve, the raid marked one of the most audacious U.S. special forces actions in recent history, drawing comparisons to the 2011 operation against Osama bin Laden.
Elite Delta Force commandos, supported by CIA intelligence gathered over months, executed a pre-dawn helicopter assault on a heavily fortified compound in Caracas. The operation began around 2:00 a.m. local time with supporting airstrikes that reportedly disabled key Venezuelan defenses and plunged parts of the capital into darkness. Delta Force operators moved swiftly, breaching the residence where Maduro and Flores were caught by surprise.
According to accounts from U.S. officials, including Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine, Maduro attempted to flee into a steel-reinforced safe room—described by Trump as a “military fortress”—but was unable to seal the door in time. The couple surrendered without prolonged resistance, though the helicopters came under fire, resulting in minor damage to one aircraft and several non-fatal injuries to U.S. personnel. No American lives were lost in the raid, which lasted less than 30 minutes from initial insertion to extraction.
Maduro and Flores were quickly transported by helicopter to the USS Iwo Jima in the Caribbean before being flown to New York. Trump shared images on social media showing the Venezuelan leader in custody, blindfolded and in gray sweatpants, aboard the vessel.
The U.S. Department of Justice, led by Attorney General Pam Bondi, promptly unsealed an expanded indictment against Maduro, his wife, and associates. The charges include:
Narco-terrorism conspiracy
Cocaine importation conspiracy
Possession of machine guns and destructive devices
Conspiracy to possess machine guns and destructive devices
These build on 2020 allegations that Maduro led the Cartel de los Soles, a network accused of flooding the United States with thousands of tons of cocaine while partnering with groups like the FARC, Sinaloa Cartel, and Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua gang—designated a terrorist organization by the Trump administration. Prosecutors describe Maduro’s regime as a “corrupt enterprise” fueled by narcotics trafficking, corruption, and violence to enrich officials and fund narco-terrorist allies.
Trump hailed the mission as a “brilliant operation” executed with precision, emphasizing it targeted a leader he accused of waging “deadly narco-terrorism” against American citizens through drug flows. The president indicated the U.S. would oversee a transition in Venezuela until stability is achieved, though interim Venezuelan leadership under Vice President Delcy Rodríguez has pushed back, calling the action an illegal abduction and vowing resistance.
The raid has sparked intense international debate, with condemnations from allies like Brazil labeling it a dangerous precedent, while supporters praise it as a decisive blow against drug cartels and authoritarianism. Maduro now awaits trial in a Manhattan federal court, where he could face life imprisonment if convicted.
This high-stakes intervention underscores the Trump administration’s aggressive stance on transnational crime, blending military might with law enforcement to confront threats at their source.