Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has been captured by United States special forces and flown out of the country to face serious drugs and weapons charges, triggering jubilant street celebrations among the nation's vast global diaspora.
Dawn Raid in Caracas and Global Reaction
The dramatic operation unfolded in the early hours of Saturday morning in the Venezuelan capital, Caracas. Elite Delta Force troops seized Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, at approximately 2am local time, following a series of explosions and airstrikes. Residents reported loud noises, low-flying aircraft, and columns of smoke billowing into the air, particularly near La Carlota airport.
Former US President Donald Trump, who authorised the mission, hailed it as a "brilliant operation" in comments to The New York Times. He announced the capture on his Truth Social platform, stating Maduro had been "captured and flown out of the Country." The news sent immediate shockwaves through the international community.
Venezuela's Vice President, Delcy Rodríguez, demanded "proof of life" for the captured leader, while Attorney General Tarek William Saab condemned the action as a "criminal terrorist attack" that caused civilian casualties. Russia, a key Venezuelan ally, expressed extreme concern and suggested the US may have violated international law.
A Long-Awaited Reckoning for the Maduro Regime
Maduro's capture represents the culmination of a lengthy pursuit by American authorities. He was first indicted in the US in 2020 on charges of conspiring to import cocaine. At that time, the Trump administration offered a $15 million reward for his arrest. This bounty was increased to $25 million under President Biden and then doubled to a staggering $50 million in August 2025 after Trump's return to office.
US Attorney General Pam Bondi confirmed Maduro would soon face "the full wrath of American justice on American soil." The charges allege he led a drug trafficking organisation known as the Cartel de los Soles, which the US designates as a foreign terrorist group. President Trump has long accused Maduro's government of conspiring to flood America with illegal narcotics.
Exiles Celebrate the Fall of a 'Dictatorship'
The news was met with unbridled joy by the millions of Venezuelans who have fled their homeland since 2014. The United Nations notes the country is suffering one of the world's largest displacement crises, driven by rampant violence, hyperinflation, gang warfare, and crippling shortages of food and medicine.
From Santiago, Chile, to Doral, Florida, ecstatic crowds spilled onto the streets, singing, dancing, and waving both Venezuelan and American flags. "I've come to celebrate because the dictatorship has fallen," declared one celebrant in Chile. Another in Florida stated, "Today, justice is being served... We want to return to our country and rebuild."
For these exiles, Maduro's arrest symbolises the potential end of an era defined by economic collapse, alleged election rigging, and the suppression of dissent. As the captured leader awaits his fate in US custody, the future of Venezuela hangs in the balance, while its scattered citizens dare to hope for a new beginning.
