In a dramatic military operation that has stunned the international community, U.S. forces have captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores during a surprise strike on military facilities in Venezuela. The January 3, 2026 operation, dubbed “Operation Absolute Resolve,” targeted the Fuerte Tiuna military complex and has effectively placed Venezuela under U.S. control.
Military Strike and Capture
President Donald Trump hailed the mission as “one of the most stunning, effective and powerful displays of American military might and confidence in American history,” in a statement following the operation. The strikes, which had been planned for months, were approved by Trump around 11 pm ET on January 2, with no advance notification to Congress.
The operation wasn’t without casualties. “A couple of guys were hit, but they came back and they’re supposed to be in pretty good shape,” Trump noted, referring to U.S. military personnel injured when a helicopter was struck during the mission. No aircraft were lost and no deaths were reported.
Maduro and his wife were transported to New York via helicopter, landing at the West Side Heliport after first arriving at Stewart International Airport on a Department of Justice-registered plane. They’ve since been transferred to Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center, according to officials familiar with the operation.
U.S. Control of Venezuela
Perhaps most shocking is Trump’s declaration that the United States will now assume direct control of Venezuela. “We’re going to run it until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition,” he stated bluntly during a press briefing.
The president outlined plans for American oil companies to play a central role in the country’s future. “We’re going to have our very large United States oil companies, the biggest anywhere in the world, go and spend billions of dollars to fix the badly broken infrastructure, the oil infrastructure, and start making money for the country,” Trump explained. He invoked what he called a “Donroe Doctrine” and suggested that proceeds from Venezuelan oil would fund the occupation, avoiding costs to U.S. taxpayers.
What does this mean for Venezuelan sovereignty? PBS NewsHour has characterized the operation as nothing less than a regime change, with Trump essentially announcing American domination over Latin America.
Criminal Allegations
The U.S. has long sought Maduro’s arrest. A U.S. indictment accuses him of leading a corrupt government deeply involved in drug trafficking, allegedly partnering with narco-terrorists to ship up to 250 tons of cocaine into the United States by 2020. The Justice Department had offered a $50 million reward for information leading to his capture in August 2025.
International Reaction
The international community has responded with alarm. A United Nations spokesman expressed concern over what appears to be a violation of international law, calling the developments “a dangerous precedent.”
Venezuela’s Vice President Delcy RodrÃguez has demanded proof that Maduro and his wife are alive. Meanwhile, Russia, Cuba, and Iran have issued strong condemnations, while European Union and United Kingdom leaders have called for restraint.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended the lack of congressional notification, arguing that “This is not the kind of mission that you can do congressional notification on.” He framed the operation as an arrest of indicted fugitives, supported by the Department of War.
How will this unprecedented action reshape U.S. relations in Latin America? The capture of a sitting head of state and the declaration of direct American control over a sovereign nation marks a dramatic shift in U.S. foreign policy that will likely reverberate through international relations for years to come.
As Venezuelan citizens wake up to find their country under foreign control and global powers position themselves in response, the world watches to see if this bold military action signals a new era of American interventionism or an exceptional case driven by the specific allegations against the Maduro regime.
