Trump Announces Capture of Maduro, Signals US Control of Venezuela After Dramatic Raid
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The United States has taken a decisive step toward asserting control over Venezuela, with President Trump announcing the capture of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, following a large-scale military operation. The operation, dubbed “Operation Absolute Resolve,” unfolded overnight and culminated in the transfer of Maduro and his wife to New York City to face drug and weapons charges, according to officials.
Situation Room Insights: Monitoring the Raid on X
Images released by the White House reveal a scene of intense monitoring within Trump’s Mar-a-Lago “situation room” as the operation unfolded. The photos depict Trump alongside key advisors – Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, Central Intelligence Director John Ratcliffe, and General Dan Caine – seemingly focused on social media activity related to the raid, specifically on the platform X.com. A large wall-mounted television displayed search results for “Venezuela” on X, suggesting the administration closely tracked public reaction in real-time.
“Eagle-eyed viewers noted that the administration appeared to be closely watching social media chatter about the Venezuela raid on Friday – particularly on X.com,” one observer noted.
Operation Absolute Resolve: A Swift and Decisive Strike
The operation involved over 50 aircraft launched from 20 bases across the Western Hemisphere, according to Gen. Caine. He detailed the precision of the mission during a Saturday press conference, stating, “As the night began, the helicopters took off with the extraction force…and began their flight into Venezuela at 100 feet above the water.” American helicopters, supported by drones, bombers, and fighter jets, successfully dismantled Venezuela’s air defenses before deploying forces to capture Maduro.
According to reports, Maduro and his wife were apprehended in their beds by an elite Delta Force unit. “He was trying to get into a safe place,” Trump told reporters, “The safe place is all steel, and he wasn’t able to make it to the door because our guys were so fast.” They were then transported via the USS Iwo Jima to Stewart Air National Guard Base in New York, arriving Saturday morning.
Indictment and Charges Against Maduro
Maduro now faces a federal grand jury indictment accusing him of plotting to smuggle “thousands of tons” of cocaine into the United States. The indictment, originally filed in March 2020, names Maduro, his wife, his son, and other high-ranking Venezuelan officials as defendants. Prosecutors allege that for over 25 years, Venezuelan leaders have abused their power to facilitate large-scale drug trafficking operations. “Prosecutors called Maduro the ‘forefront of the corruption,’ alleging that he and his associates collaborated with drug traffickers and narco-terrorists to flood the US with drugs.”
US Control and Future of Venezuela
At a press conference in Florida, Trump announced the US will take control of Venezuela, with Rubio and Hegseth working alongside “the people of Venezuela.” He indicated a willingness to deploy “boots on the ground” but remained vague about the long-term plan for governing the country. Notably, Trump stated that opposition leader Maria Corina Machado will not replace Maduro, and his administration has not engaged in contact with her.
Rubio defended the administration’s decision to proceed with the raid without Congressional approval.
International Response and Condemnation
The military operation has drawn strong condemnation from Venezuelan officials. Maduro’s chosen vice president, Delcy Rodríguez, denounced the capture as “barbaric,” “an illegal and illegitimate kidnapping,” and an assault on Venezuela’s sovereignty. She called for the “immediate release” of Maduro and his wife, asserting that he remains “the only president of Venezuela.” Trump, however, expressed a belief that Rodríguez was “essentially willing to do what we think is necessary to make Venezuela great again.”
The situation remains fluid, and the long-term implications of this unprecedented intervention in Venezuela are yet to be seen.
