In a stunning and unprecedented military operation, the government of former US President Donald Trump has captured Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro. The brazen raid, which took place on Saturday, has sent shockwaves across the globe, with newly released photographs chronicling the former president's journey from his palace to a detention centre in New York.
Operation Absolute Resolve: A Surgical Strike
The mission, codenamed "Operation Absolute Resolve," was executed by the elite US Army unit, Delta Force. In a lightning-fast overnight assault on Caracas, American forces, backed by jets and aircraft, targeted key military installations and the mausoleum of former leader Hugo Chávez.
Dramatic footage from the ground in Venezuela showed towering pillars of flame and smoke erupting across the capital. This display of raw military power stands in stark contrast to the subsequent images released by the Trump administration, which show a subdued Maduro being processed by US authorities.
From the USS Iwo Jima to New York Court
The first official image of the captured leader was shared by Donald Trump on his Truth Social platform. It showed Maduro, 63, bound and blindfolded aboard the USS Iwo Jima assault ship. He and his wife, Cilia Flores, 69, were swiftly transported to the United States.
Maduro faces serious charges in the American judicial system. An indictment unsealed from the Southern District of New York, originally filed in 2020, accuses him, his wife, his son, and three others of narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy, and weapons charges related to machine guns and destructive devices.
Video posted by the White House documented Maduro being escorted through a US Drug Enforcement Administration office by two agents. Further pictures since his arrival show him in a tracksuit, at times giving a thumbs-up or peace sign to his captors, casting a surprisingly casual light on the conclusion of the high-stakes operation.
International Repercussions and a Leader in Custody
The capture marks a dramatic escalation in the long-standing tensions between Washington and Caracas. The Trump administration has presented the operation as the lawful apprehension of an indicted criminal, while Venezuelan authorities have condemned the attack and claimed it struck civilian populations.
The 24-hour sequence—from the fury of the initial air strikes to the sight of the Venezuelan president in shackles—represents one of the most audacious overseas interventions by US forces in recent history. Maduro is now awaiting legal proceedings in New York, bringing a volatile chapter in hemispheric relations to a shocking new stage.
