US forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife in a nighttime military operation in Caracas, involving strikes and swift exfiltration. Maduro is to be transferred to New York for indictment on narcoterrorism and drug trafficking charges. The international community responds with calls for restraint and condemnations of the intervention.
The 'Absolute Resolve' operation, conducted by US forces under Donald Trump's orders, resulted in the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in a fortified residence in Caracas overnight from January 2 to 3, 2026. According to General Dan Caine, US Chief of Staff, the assault involved hundreds of aircraft and ships, with a ground team descending at 1:01 a.m. to arrest the leader without US fatalities, though two soldiers were wounded. At least 40 people, including military personnel and civilians, died on the Venezuelan side, per the New York Times citing an anonymous official.
Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores, blindfolded and escorted by DEA and FBI agents, landed at Stewart Airport near New York on a Justice Department plane. They are to appear before a federal court for narcoterrorism, cocaine importation, and crimes against humanity, as noted by a UN mission. The indictment also targets Diosdado Cabello and Maduro's son.
Donald Trump, who watched the operation live, hailed a 'brilliant operation' and promised political transition in Venezuela with temporary US involvement. 'We will engage in the political transition in Venezuela,' he stated from Mar-a-Lago. He threatened a second attack if needed and mentioned implanting US oil companies.
International reactions are sharp. Emmanuel Macron rejoiced at the end of the 'Maduro dictatorship' and called on Edmundo González Urrutia to lead the transition. Russia and China condemned the 'armed aggression,' while the EU, via Kaja Kallas, called for restraint. Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez, in Russia, asserted 'Maduro is the only president.' Celebrations erupted among the Venezuelan diaspora in Miami and elsewhere, with 7.7 million exiles since 2014 per the IOM. The UN Security Council will meet on Monday.
This intervention raises questions about international law, with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres fearing a 'dangerous precedent'.
