Elite U.S. Delta Force operators ripped Venezuelan strongman Nicolás Maduro and his wife from their beds in the dead of night, ending the socialist leader’s rule just two days after he publicly begged President Donald Trump for peace.
The operation unfolded in the early hours of Saturday morning, with U.S. forces striking multiple Venezuelan targets as part of a tightly coordinated mission that culminated in Maduro’s capture while he slept.
According to reports, Maduro and Cilia Flores were seized without warning and swiftly removed from the country.
President Trump later confirmed the pair were flown to the USS Iwo Jima and will be transported to New York City, where Maduro is expected to stand trial on drug trafficking and weapons charges.
The president did not hide his reaction.
Trump described the raid as “brilliant” and said he personally watched the operation unfold in real time.
Speaking on Fox & Friends, Trump said the speed and intensity of the mission were stunning and compared the moment to watching a high-stakes television drama.
Explosions rocked Caracas during the raid, with U.S. forces targeting key military and security sites to ensure the safe extraction of Maduro and his wife.
Venezuelan officials claimed civilians were wounded, though no verified casualty figures have been released. U.S. officials have stated the mission resulted in no American fatalities.
The timing was especially striking.
Just two days earlier, Maduro issued a public plea for peace, insisting Venezuela wanted cooperation rather than conflict. He even claimed a willingness to work with the U.S. on curbing drug trafficking, a claim Trump has repeatedly dismissed as nonsense.
Trump has long accused Maduro of running the Cartel de los Soles and flooding the U.S. with cocaine. Maduro was first indicted in 2020 on narco terrorism charges, with reward money for his capture eventually rising to $50 million.
Despite increasing security and reportedly sleeping in different locations each night, Maduro was tracked by U.S. intelligence and ultimately caught off guard. Sources say the CIA monitored his movements closely in the days leading up to the strike.
Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez demanded proof of life following the operation, while the regime’s attorney general labeled the raid a criminal act and called for protests.
Russia also weighed in, suggesting the U.S. may have violated international law, per the Daily Mail.
Back home, the operation has sparked intense political backlash.
Trump ran as a president of peace, and the dramatic arrest of a foreign head of state has angered parts of his MAGA base.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) joined Democrats in warning the raid could mark the beginning of a new era of regime change wars, calling it a betrayal of what voters were promised.
Trump has brushed off the criticism and doubled down, declaring Maduro a dictator who will now face American justice. He also stunned reporters by announcing the U.S. will temporarily oversee Venezuela until a proper transition can be secured.
Maduro, once defiant and daring the U.S. to come for him, is now in American custody.
