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The US launched airstrikes on Caracas, detained Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores, flew them to the US citing narco-terrorism charges, and claimed Maduro's removal from power.
Nicolas Maduro after being brought to US.
New Delhi,UPDATED: Jan 4, 2026 07:36 IST
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro was seen handcuffed and escorted by US forces after being captured in a dramatic and unprecedented operation following airstrikes in Caracas on Saturday. Maduro and his wife were taken into custody by the United States, with President Donald Trump claiming that the operation had removed Maduro from power and that the US would temporarily “run the country” while a political transition is organised.
The primary justification cited by the US for the capture was a set of federal indictments in New York accusing Maduro of leading a “narco-terrorism” network that allegedly flooded the United States with illegal drugs, including cocaine and fentanyl, to “destroy American lives”. Venezuela has vehemently rejected these claims, saying the real motive behind the “military aggression” was to plunder the country’s oil and mineral resources.
Codenamed Operation Absolute Resolve, the operation was carried out at around 2.00 am local time, when elite US Delta Force operators, backed by FBI and CIA assets, breached President Nicolás Maduro’s primary residence inside the Fort Tiuna military complex in Caracas. Maduro and his wife were taken into custody and flown out of the country on Saturday to face federal “narco-terrorism” charges in the United States.
After removing the leftist leader, Donald Trump said that the United States will "run" Venezuela and tap its huge oil reserves. Trump said he was "designating people" from his cabinet to be in charge in Venezuela. "We're going to have our very large United States oil companies, spend billions of dollars, fix the badly broken infrastructure," he said, specifying, "We'll be selling large amounts of oil".
Maduro was indicted on various US charges, including narco-terrorism conspiracy, and is expected to make an initial appearance in Manhattan federal court on Monday. His wife also faces charges, including cocaine importation conspiracy. Trump has released a photo of Maduro showing him blindfolded and handcuffed aboard the USS Iwo Jima.
The Venezuelan government condemned the military aggression, calling it an extremely serious development that warrants the intervention of the international community. "The objective of this attack is none other than to seize Venezuela's strategic resources, particularly its oil and minerals, attempting to forcibly break the nation's political independence. They will not succeed," Venezuela said. Maduro's apparent successor, Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez, decried the "kidnapping" and called for the immediate release of the President.
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Published On:
Jan 4, 2026
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