US Forces Capture Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in Caracas Amidst Controversy
On January 3, 2026, US forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in Caracas during strikes targeting military facilities across Caracas, La Guaira, Aragua, and Miranda. Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were indicted in the Southern District of New York on charges including narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy, and possession of machine guns and destructive devices. US Attorney General Pam Bondi stated they would face justice in American courts and expressed gratitude to former President Trump and the US military for the operation.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio declared Maduro is not the legitimate President and leads the Cartel de Los Soles, which is under indictment for drug trafficking into the United States. Vice-President JD Vance praised the operation as a decisive stand against drug trafficking and oil theft, asserting that Trump enforces consequences for such actions.
Democrats criticized the operation as a regime-change effort that risks violating Venezuela's right to self-determination. Senator Andy Kim accused Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth of deceiving Congress and bypassing constitutional processes for war authorization. Representative Ro Khanna condemned the administration's militarism, urging a focus on domestic priorities and warning against becoming entangled in foreign conflicts.
ACLED analyst Tiziano Breda described the strikes as the largest US military operation in Latin America since the 1989 Panama invasion, noting the timing was significant as it coincided with Maduro's presidential term anniversary and could provoke unrest or resistance from regime loyalists. Some specialists expressed skepticism regarding the narco-terror label attributed to the Cartel de Los Soles, emphasizing that Venezuela's cartel landscape differs substantially from that of Mexico.
