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19h ago

U.S. Seizes Nicolás Maduro in Caracas Raid Under Operation Absolute Resolve

U.S. officials describe a months-long, intelligence-led plan using a 150-aircraft shield that enabled Delta Force to capture the Venezuelan leader for U.S. prosecution.

F-35C Lightning II
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Federal law enforcement personnel stand watch outside the Metropolitan Detention Center as they await the arrival of captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
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Overview

  • President Trump announced the overnight extraction and posted a photo showing Maduro blindfolded and handcuffed aboard the USS Iwo Jima.
  • The operation also detained Cilia Flores, with both set to face charges tied to a 2020 Justice Department indictment alleging narco-terrorism and drug trafficking.
  • Air Force Gen. Dan Caine said more than 150 aircraft supported the mission as special operators breached a replica-rehearsed compound and secured the targets without U.S. fatalities.
  • U.S. forces disabled Venezuelan air defenses and struck military sites near Caracas, and Trump said one helicopter was hit and several Americans were injured with no deaths.
  • Reporting described CIA groundwork, including a source inside Venezuela and a recent location fix for Maduro, though officials have not detailed those specifics publicly.