President Trump announced early Saturday that the United States had successfully captured Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores after what he called a “large-scale strike.”
The news comes after multiple reports of several explosions rocking Caracas and its surrounding areas. This will also happen within 48 hours of Maduro. saying that he was “willing” to make a drug deal with the President in hopes that the United States will end its military pressure campaign.
It would seem that a reasonable option would be to try to get a deal done well before the start of 2026.
“The United States of America successfully launched a wide-ranging strike against Venezuela and its leader, President Nicolas Maduro, who, along with his wife, was captured and taken from the country,” Trump said in his address. Truth Social media platform. “This operation was conducted in conjunction with US law enforcement agencies.”
Trump also announced that there will be a press conference later today at Mar-a-Lago to provide more details about the operation.
STATEMENT BY PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP pic.twitter.com/nHDqtsqRFh
— Caroline Leavitt (@PressSec) January 3, 2026
READ MO: Maduro says he's ready to play “Let's make a deal”
The Trump Administration Just Placed a Huge $50 Million Bounty on the Dictator's Head
Reports overnight indicate multiple explosions occurred in Caracas. Washington Post indicating strikes included military installations such as Fuerte Tiuna and the air base of Generalissimo Francisco de Miranda.
The Post also claims that witnesses saw explosions near the port of La Guaira, Venezuela's main port. There has been no official confirmation from the White House regarding the exact location of the strikes or the reasons for them.
Numerous videos have appeared online purporting to show plumes of smoke, flashes and the sound of explosions, although their authenticity cannot currently be independently verified.
Footage provided to Reuters showed explosions and smoke at the air base.
Video footage showed explosions and smoke rising from the Generalissimo de Miranda airbase in Caracas as US strikes rocked the Venezuelan capital. https://t.co/w6dGatSfQY pic.twitter.com/7hQm9N24NP
— Reuters (@Reuters) January 3, 2026
CBS News, citing US officialsreports that Maduro's daring takeover was carried out by none other than the elite warriors of the US Army's 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment Delta, better known as Delta Force.
Delta Force is America's premier counter-terrorism unit and a high-value target force.
ONLY: 🇻🇪 Close-up of explosions in Caracas, Venezuela.#Venezuela #VenezuelaLibre #Trump pic.twitter.com/bcvryiqaWA
— Club Kalesh (@Kaleshpoint) January 3, 2026
Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) said he spoke with Secretary of State Marco Rubio about the Venezuela operation, with the latter reportedly saying Maduro would face “criminal charges” on American soil.
Lee also noted that he believed this was not a military strike, but rather an attempt to help law enforcement arrest Maduro, which Trump hinted at in his statement.
“I just spoke on the phone with [Secretary Rubio]”,” Lee wrote on X. “He informed me that Nicolas Maduro was arrested by US military personnel to face trial on criminal charges in the United States, and that the kinetic action we saw tonight was deployed to protect and protect those executing the arrest warrant.”
I just spoke on the phone with @SecRubio
He informed me that Nicolas Maduro had been arrested by US military personnel to stand trial on criminal charges in the United States, and that the kinetic action we saw this evening was deployed to protect and protect those executing the arrest warrant… https://t.co/lXCxhPoKSZ
— Mike Lee (@BasedMikeLee) January 3, 2026
Lee, in follow up postsuggested that Rubio was indicating that the capture of Maduro and his wife meant the end of further action in Venezuela.
At the time of publication, Rubio had yet to make an official statement. However, he shared a social media post from July in which he stated that Maduro is “NOT the President of Venezuela.”
“Maduro is the head of the Cartel de Los Soles, a narco-terrorist organization that has taken over the country,” he wrote, “and is charged with trafficking drugs into the United States.”
— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) January 3, 2026
President Trump told reporters in October that Maduro “offered everything“to persuade the United States to back down amid escalating American strikes on suspected drug-trafficking vessels.
Trump gave an expletive-laced, candid assessment of the dictator's efforts to force the United States to slow down and shut down narco-terrorist operations.
“He offered everything. He offered everything. You are right. Do you know why? Trump responded. “Because he doesn't want to get involved with the United States.”
WOW – President Trump dropped a BOMB.
REPORTER: “President Maduro has offered mediation… to you.”
POTUS: “He offered everything. He offered everything. Do you know why? Because he doesn't want to get involved with the United States.”
BOOM. 💥🚨 pic.twitter.com/JlxOgYQhLZ
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) October 17, 2025
The then-president reportedly approved CIA covert operations inside Venezuela. Two months earlier the administration raised the award on Maduro, a staggering $50 million.
Attorney General Pam Bondi accused Maduro of using foreign terrorist organizations to “bring deadly violence to our country,” adding that he is “one of the largest drug traffickers in the world and a threat to our national security.”
Ministry of Justice, according to Bondiconfiscated more than $700 million in Maduro-linked assets, including two private jets and 30 tons of cocaine, almost seven tons directly tied to him.
⚡️⚡️‼️🇺🇸🇻🇪 Video of explosions in the Venezuelan capital Caracas after the US attack
— International Relations (@Intl_Relations0) January 3, 2026
Maduro criticized Trump for the persecution, accusing the CIA of being involved in “coups” and suggesting it resembled “coups.”failed forever wars“In Afghanistan and Iraq.
The dramatic one-day operation could well mark the virtual end of one of the most enduring socialist dictatorships in the Western Hemisphere – a regime that has presided over economic collapse, mass exodus and widespread human rights abuses for more than a decade.
Because the situation is rapidly evolving, RedState will keep readers updated as needed.
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