In a dramatic and unprecedented military operation, United States forces have captured the sitting president of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro. The raid, which involved airstrikes across the country and culminated in Maduro's seizure in Caracas, marks a severe escalation in Washington's long-running campaign against the socialist government.
A Swift and Stunning Military Operation
The operation began overnight on Friday, with US airstrikes reportedly hitting targets across Venezuela, including the capital. Explosions rocked Caracas before dawn. Shortly after, former US President Donald Trump announced that American forces had successfully captured President Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, and had flown them out of the country.
This bold move follows months of intense military pressure from the US. Since September, a substantial US naval fleet has been positioned off Venezuela's coast. During this period, the US conducted strikes against boats allegedly linked to drug trafficking in the Caribbean and Pacific and seized Venezuelan oil tankers. Human rights groups state that at least 110 people have been killed in these maritime strikes, actions they argue could constitute war crimes.
The Path to Confrontation: Ultimatums and Accusations
The relationship between the US and Venezuela has been fraught for decades, deteriorating sharply under Maduro's rule and the Trump administration's "maximum pressure" policy. Trump has consistently accused Maduro of narco-trafficking and destabilising the region. In July 2024, the US placed a $50 million bounty on Maduro's head, labelling him a top global drug kingpin.
The final ultimatum came in late November 2024. Trump directly offered Maduro safe passage out of Venezuela if he relinquished power. Maduro refused, telling supporters he would not accept "a slave's peace" and accusing the US of coveting Venezuela's vast oil reserves, the largest in the world.
Venezuelan officials have repeatedly denied the US accusations, and experts have noted a lack of evidence for claims that Maduro directed drugs and criminals into the United States. In a surprising twist just two days before his capture, Maduro stated in a televised interview that he would welcome US investment in Venezuela's oil sector.
Uncertain Future and Calls for Resistance
The capture of a sitting head of state is a watershed moment with an uncertain aftermath. Venezuela's defence minister has vowed to continue fighting, calling for national unity to resist what he termed a foreign "invasion." While Maduro is in custody, the country's institutions and military structure reportedly remain intact.
Opposition figures within Venezuela, including Nobel Peace Prize laureate María Corina Machado, have urged the US to support a domestic uprising. However, past US military simulations of such a "decapitation" scenario predicted prolonged chaos, with a refugee crisis and violent power struggles between rival factions.
This action aligns with a policy shift articulated by the Trump administration in early December, known as the "Trump corollary." This doctrine asserts US political, economic, and military primacy in the Western Hemisphere and explicitly allows for the use of force to secure access to energy and mineral resources in the region.
