At a Glance
- The U.S. seized Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife overnight in a covert operation.
- Operation “Absolute Resolve” lasted less than 30 minutes and involved helicopter extractions.
- The U.S. plans to bring Maduro to trial and oversee Venezuela until a new leader is chosen.
- Why it matters: The move could reshape Venezuela’s political future and set a precedent for U.S. intervention.
The United States carried out a nighttime raid that captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, and brought them to a U.S. warship for extradition. The operation, dubbed “Absolute Resolve,” followed months of covert planning and marked a dramatic escalation in U.S. actions against Venezuela.
Operation Details
President Donald Trump announced the raid during a news conference at his Florida home, describing how U.S. forces infiltrated Maduro’s Caracas compound under darkness and seized the leaders. The plan relied on rehearsals on a replica of the presidential compound, practice with “massive blowtorches” to breach steel walls, and careful timing of weather to allow low-altitude helicopter approaches.
President Trump said:
> “He didn’t get that space closed. He was trying to get into it, but he got bum-rushed right so fast that he didn’t get into that.”
Gen. Dan Caine explained:
> “We think, we develop, we train, we rehearse, we debrief, we rehearse again, and again.”
- Rehearsals covered Maduro’s daily routine, pets, and clothing.
- Operations were set by early December to ensure no mistakes.
- The U.S. waited for cloud cover to clear before launching.
Reactions
Venezuela’s Vice President Delcy Rodríguez said civilians and military were killed and demanded the U.S. release Maduro, calling him the rightful leader. Rodríguez also said the country would consider dialogue if respectful relations were possible.
Vice President Rodríguez said:
> “We are willing to have respectful relations.”
President Trump added:
> “We’re not afraid of boots on the ground if we have to.”
> “We had boots on the ground last night.”
Future U.S. Oversight
Trump said a team including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Gen. Dan Caine, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio would work with Venezuelans, and that U.S. troops could remain on the ground if needed. He pledged to run the country until a new leader is chosen and to oversee oil fields.
President Trump said:
> “We will direct the path forward for Venezuela.”
> “We’ll run the country until a new leader is chosen.”
> “This is a very dangerous attack. This is an attack that could have gone very, very badly.”
Key Takeaways
- The U.S. seized Maduro and Flores in a covert overnight raid.
- The operation was brief, lasting less than 30 minutes.
- Trump pledged to oversee Venezuela until a new leader is chosen.
The raid marks a new chapter in U.S.-Venezuela relations and could influence the region’s political landscape.
Amanda S. Bennett reported from Chapin, South Carolina for News Of Los Angeles.
