US special forces detained Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores in a nighttime operation named 'Resolución Absoluta' in Caracas on January 3, 2026. The mission, involving over 150 aircraft, capped months of pressure from Donald Trump's government against the Chavista regime. Maduro will face narcoterrorism charges in New York.
Operation 'Resolución Absoluta': Details of the capture
The 'Resolución Absoluta' operation, carried out from the night of January 2 to the early morning of January 3, 2026, was a covert mission planned for months with CIA and other US agencies' involvement. Over 150 aircraft, including helicopters flying 30 meters above sea level, took off from 20 regional bases. General Dan Caine, Joint Chiefs chairman, explained in a press conference with Donald Trump that it was delayed several days due to weather but launched when conditions were optimal.
Attacks targeted Caracas and states like Miranda, Aragua, and La Guaira, disabling air defense systems. Forces reached Maduro's complex around 1:01 Washington time (about 2:00 a.m. local), facing Venezuelan resistance fire that damaged a helicopter but caused no US casualties. Trump recounted that Maduro and Flores were captured in their home in pajamas, before they could enter a steel-doored 'panic room.' 'He tried to enter, but they pounced on him so fast he couldn't,' the president said.
After detention, with Maduro blindfolded and handcuffed, they were helicoptered to the USS Iwo Jima, en route to New York. Prosecutor Pam Bondi announced trials for narcoterrorism conspiracy, renewing 2020 charges including cocaine importation and weapons possession. This follows Trump's campaign: $50 million reward for Maduro, 'Lanza del Sur' anti-drug operation, and tanker blockade.
Trump stated the US will direct Venezuela until a transition, in contact with Vice President Delcy Rodríguez. The Venezuelan government denounced a 'grave military aggression.' Mexico, under Claudia Sheinbaum, criticized the bombings as a UN Charter violation, upholding self-determination.
