US special forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores in a pre-dawn operation on 3 January, President Donald Trump announced on Truth Social hours after explosions rocked Caracas and multiple Venezuelan cities.
"The United States of America has successfully carried out a large scale strike against Venezuela and its leader, President Nicolas Maduro, who has been, along with his wife, captured and flown out of the Country," Trump wrote. "This operation was done in conjunction with US Law Enforcement."
The operation marks the fall of Russia's key Latin American ally—the same regime that kidnapped soldiers who fought for Ukraine and handed them to Russia.
Maduro's capture follows the toppling of Assad in Syria. Both dictatorships provided Moscow with strategic footholds: Venezuela for shadow fleet oil operations, Syria for Mediterranean naval access. Both fell while Russia's military resources remained tied down in Ukraine.
Trump hails "brilliant operation"
CBS News reported that Delta Force, the US Army's elite special mission unit, carried out the capture. US officials said there were no American military casualties.
Trump told The New York Times it was "a lot of good planning and lot of great, great troops and great people" and called it "a brilliant operation, actually."
US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau wrote on X that Maduro would "finally face justice for his crimes."
Attorney General Pam Bondi announced Maduro and Flores have been indicted in the Southern District of New York on narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy, and weapons charges. "They will soon face the full wrath of American justice on American soil in American courts," Bondi stated.
Venezuela in chaos as leaders' whereabouts unknown
Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez demanded "proof of life" from Washington, saying the government does not know the whereabouts of Maduro or Flores. The government declared a national emergency after explosions rocked Caracas, Miranda, Aragua, and La Guaira around 2 a.m., with fires reported at Fort Tiuna, Venezuela's largest military complex.
Russia and Iran condemn strikes, demand UN meeting
Russia's Foreign Ministry labeled the operation "an act of armed aggression against Venezuela," calling for an emergency UN Security Council meeting. Moscow said it was "extremely concerned" by reports of Maduro's forced removal and demanded "immediate clarification."
"Venezuela must be guaranteed the right to determine its own destiny without any destructive, let alone military, outside intervention," the ministry stated—rhetoric echoing language Russia routinely uses while conducting its own war of aggression against Ukraine since 2014.
Iran's Foreign Ministry condemned the attack as "a flagrant violation of the national sovereignty and territorial integrity" of Venezuela.
Cuba's President Miguel Díaz-Canel denounced what he called "state terrorism against the brave Venezuelan people."
Hours before the strike, Maduro met Xi Jinping's special envoy Qiu Xiaoqi at Miraflores Palace, thanking President Xi for "his brotherhood and his message as a strong leader for the world," Times of India reported. Beijing has yet to issue a formal response to the capture of its "strategic partner."
EU calls for restraint while questioning Maduro's legitimacy
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said she spoke with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and called for "restraint," while noting the bloc "repeatedly stated that Mr. Maduro lacks legitimacy."
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"Under all circumstances, the principles of international law and the UN Charter must be respected," Kallas wrote on X.
European Council President António Costa said he was monitoring events "with great concern," adding that "the European Union calls for de-escalation and a resolution in full respect of international law."
Argentine President Javier Milei, a Trump ally, praised the operation: "Freedom advances, long live freedom."
What Maduro's fall means for Moscow
The capture represents Moscow's second major ally loss following Assad's December 2024 flight from Damascus.
"If the US is seriously set on regime change in Venezuela by force, Russia is unlikely to be able to help," Crisis Group analyst Oleg Ignatov told Radio Svoboda in November, citing "basic geography and logistics."
In late October, Maduro wrote to Putin requesting upgraded air defense systems. A Russian Il-76 transport flew to Caracas shortly after, though its cargo remains unknown.
Some observers warned Moscow would exploit the situation. "This would strengthen Russia's argument that it is the West, not Russia, that is the enemy of the Global South: arrogant, aggressive, and imperialist," Russia analyst Mark Galeotti told Radio Svoboda.
Ukrainian reaction: cautious optimism amid warnings
Kyiv has not officially commented, but Ukrainian analysts are closely watching developments.
Former MP Borislav Bereza called it "karma" for Maduro, whose foreign minister supported Russia's war against Ukraine.
But he warned of broader implications: "The right of force will now dominate over the force of law without alternative. Maduro is, of course, a scoundrel and ally of Russia, but the fact that Trump started this war without cause, like Russia against Ukraine, certainly does not add stability to the world."
