The operation unfolded in the early hours of January 3, 2026, with U.S. special forces reportedly including elite Delta Force operators conducting a daring raid amid explosions in Caracas. Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were extracted from a heavily guarded location and flown by helicopter to the USS Iwo Jima, a powerful Wasp-class ship currently operating in the Caribbean.

Trump later confirmed in interviews and posts that the couple is en route to New York, where they face long-standing federal charges, including narco-terrorism conspiracy and drug trafficking. The U.S. has accused Maduro’s regime of turning Venezuela into a “narco-state,” facilitating massive cocaine flows into America.

While the move has drawn sharp criticism from some Democrats and international voices who call it an illegal intervention, many Venezuelans both at home and in exile are celebrating what they see as liberation from years of economic collapse, repression, and corruption under Maduro.

President Trump has stated that the U.S. will temporarily “run” Venezuela to ensure a stable transition, with American companies poised to help revive the nation’s vast oil industry, the largest reserves on Earth. Supporters hail it as bold action against a indicted fugitive; critics warn of precedents and potential backlash.

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