US President Donald Trump has claimed that American forces captured Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro in a swift and unprecedented military operation, which he said he watched live.
Speaking in a phone interview with Fox News on Saturday, January 3, Trump described the raid as “fast” and “violent,” adding that it unfolded in real time “like I was watching a television show.” He said no US troops were killed during the operation, though a few sustained injuries and later returned in good condition.
According to Trump, Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were taken to a ship and will be transported to New York to face drug trafficking and terrorism-related charges. Speaking from his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida, Trump claimed he had spoken with Maduro a week earlier and urged him to surrender.
Detailing the operation, Trump said US forces carried out airstrikes before special units stormed what he described as a heavily fortified location with steel doors. He claimed Maduro attempted to reach a safe area but was overwhelmed before he could escape. Trump added that blowtorches had been prepared but were ultimately unnecessary.
The president said the operation was approved four days earlier but delayed due to weather conditions. He framed the raid as a warning to other nations, insisting the United States would no longer be “pushed around,” and urged Mexico to step up its fight against drug cartels.
US Vice President JD Vance defended the action in a post on X, stating that living “in a palace in Caracas” does not shield anyone from facing justice for drug trafficking in the United States.
Attorney General Pam Bondi confirmed that Maduro and his wife face charges in the Southern District of New York, including narco-terrorism conspiracy and cocaine importation. She said they would “face the full wrath of American justice on American soil.”
The operation has, however, sparked legal and diplomatic debate. Retired US Air Force Colonel Cedric Leighton said claims that the raid was solely about law enforcement were “a stretch,” noting the serious international law implications of removing a sitting head of state, though he acknowledged precedents such as the 1989 capture of Panama’s Manuel Noriega.
Despite the military action, Trump continued to describe himself as a “peace president,” saying his New Year resolution for 2026 remains “peace on Earth.”
