(DC Pundit) – In the early hours of Saturday morning, President Donald Trump announced that the United States had carried out a large-scale military strike inside Venezuela and that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were captured and flown out of the country, according to Trump’s statement on social media.
Trump confirmed that the operation was “successful” and said it was conducted in cooperation with U.S. law enforcement, though he didn’t initially specify which agencies were involved. He scheduled a press conference for later Saturday at Mar-a-Lago to provide further details.
The dramatic announcement followed reports of at least six explosions in the Venezuelan capital of Caracas in the early morning hours, and residents observed low-flying aircraft over the city around 2 a.m. local time.
🚨 BREAKING: At least six large EXPLOSIONS have just occurred throughout Caracas, the capital of Venezuela
Unconfirmed reports of potential U.S. airstrikes targeting military infrastructure
President Trump may have just dropped the hammer. pic.twitter.com/R0iLgG9303
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) January 3, 2026
BREAKING:
U.S. helicopters are POUNDING the Venezuelan military complex Fuerte Tiuna in Caracas pic.twitter.com/l9jblj2O5a
— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) January 3, 2026
Trump actually did it. We are witnessing one of the greatest leaders in world history.
He carried out precision strikes on Venezuela at drug trafficking hubs and military targets, and then captured Maduro and his wife alive.
The movie about this is going to be insane. pic.twitter.com/w6owJVTDaz
— Clandestine (@WarClandestine) January 3, 2026
Venezuelan authorities stated that both civilian and military areas in Caracas and the neighboring states of Miranda, Aragua, and La Guaira were affected by the strikes.
It was not immediately clear whether Maduro’s official government remained functional after the events, and Venezuela’s vice president, Delcy Rodríguez, demanded “proof of life” for Maduro and Flores, saying their whereabouts were unknown.
Attorney General Pam Bondi vowed that Maduro and his wife would face “the full wrath of American justice” now that they were in U.S. custody and would be brought to trial. Maduro had been indicted in the Southern District of New York on charges related to narco-terrorism, cocaine importation conspiracy, possession of machineguns and destructive devices, and conspiracy to possess machineguns and destructive devices.
Senator Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) echoed that point, noting that Maduro had been indicted in U.S. courts nearly six years earlier “for drug trafficking and narco-terrorism.” Cotton said that Maduro was more than a mere authoritarian leader, but someone accused of operating “a vast drug-trafficking operation,” a sentiment confirmed by public court records and bond amounts linked to his case.
Nicolas Maduro wasn’t just an illegitimate dictator; he also ran a vast drug-trafficking operation. That’s why he was indicted in U.S. court nearly six years ago for drug trafficking and narco-terrorism. I just spoke to @SecRubio, who confirmed that Maduro is in U.S. custody and…
— Tom Cotton (@SenTomCotton) January 3, 2026
Secretary of State Marco Rubio similarly affirmed that Maduro would face justice “for his crimes against our citizens.”
The reported U.S. strikes mark one of the most significant American military actions in Latin America in decades. The mission represents a serious escalation of ongoing pressure on the Maduro regime, which Washington has long accused of corruption, human rights abuses, and involvement in transnational drug trafficking. The operation also underscores the Trump administration’s willingness to use hard power in pursuit of its foreign policy goals.
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As of now, details remain limited and developments continue to unfold. U.S. authorities are expected to provide more information at the scheduled Mar-a-Lago press conference.
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