In a stunning geopolitical development, the United States' dramatic military capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro was preceded by months of secret negotiations involving his second-in-command, Vice-President Delcy Rodríguez, according to multiple sources.
Covert Doha Meetings and an Offer of 'Regime Lite'
In the months leading up to the assault on Caracas, Rodríguez engaged in clandestine talks with American officials in Doha, Qatar. These meetings were reportedly mediated by a senior member of the Qatari royal family. During the discussions, Rodríguez presented herself to Washington as a 'more acceptable' alternative to the 63-year-old leader, offering a vision described as 'Madurismo without Maduro' or a 'regime lite'.
This revelation, first detailed in an October report by the Miami Herald, has ignited intense speculation that Maduro's capture was an elaborate 'inside job', meticulously planned over several months. The theory gained traction from a video, circulated by conspiracy theorists, which purportedly shows Venezuelan soldiers firing a missile from a portable air-defense system at a US helicopter and missing.
The Operation: 'Absolute Resolve' and an Alleged Betrayal
The US mission, codenamed 'Operation Absolute Resolve', culminated in the early hours of Saturday, 3 January 2026. President Donald Trump announced the operation on his Truth Social platform at 4:21am EST. Elite troops, including Delta Force, stormed Maduro's heavily fortified compound in downtown Caracas after a series of preparatory airstrikes on military infrastructure.
According to sources, planning involved creating a replica of Maduro's safe house for rehearsals. The CIA had assembled a small team on the ground in Venezuela from August, providing critical intelligence on the president's movements. Trump stated that Maduro attempted to reach a safe room but was 'bum rushed' before he could secure the door.
The operation's apparent ease has led to direct accusations of betrayal. Francisco Santos, Colombia's former vice-president, told Colombian news channel NTN24 he is 'absolutely certain' that Rodríguez betrayed Maduro. 'They didn’t remove him, they handed him over,' Santos declared, naming Rodríguez as the architect of the handover.
Aftermath: A Dramatic Shift and Mounting Casualties
Following the raid, Rodríguez initially condemned the US action in a televised address, calling it an 'unprecedented military aggression' and demanding the release of Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. However, in a dramatic reversal on Sunday, the acting president offered to 'collaborate' with the Trump administration and build 'respectful relations'.
The human cost of the operation was significant. The New York Times, citing a Venezuelan official, reported that the death toll from the raid on Maduro's compound stood at 80 and was expected to rise. US forces sustained injuries but no fatalities.
Maduro and his wife were transported to New York, where they are scheduled to appear in Manhattan federal court. They face charges including narco-terrorism conspiracy and cocaine-importation conspiracy. Prosecutors allege Maduro oversaw a state-sponsored trafficking network partnering with groups like Mexico's Sinaloa cartel and Colombia's FARC.
Trump has sidelined Venezuela's most prominent opposition leader, Nobel Peace Prize recipient María Corina Machado, stating she lacks the necessary support. Instead, he indicated the US would 'run' Venezuela during a transition, with Rodríguez potentially at the helm, describing her as 'willing to do what we think is necessary'. This marks Washington's most controversial intervention in Latin America since the 1989 invasion of Panama.
