The United States has carried out a large-scale military operation in Venezuela, bombing targets across the country and capturing President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, before flying them to the United States, according to American and international media reports (Al Jazeera; The Guardian). U.S. President Donald Trump said Washington would temporarily “run” Venezuela following the operation, which has drawn widespread international condemnation and raised serious legal questions.
According to Al Jazeera, the operation culminated on Jan. 3 after months of escalating pressure by the Trump administration. Maduro and Flores were flown to New York, where U.S. officials said the Venezuelan leader would face charges including “narcoterrorism” and conspiracy to import cocaine. Trump praised the assault as a historic military success, calling it “one of the most stunning, effective and powerful displays of American military might” during a press conference at his Mar-a-Lago estate.
U.S. officials said that the operation, named Absolute Resolve, involved roughly 150 aircraft launched from 20 airbases across the Western Hemisphere. Venezuela’s air defenses were disabled, explosions were reported across Caracas, and US helicopters landed at Maduro’s residence, taking the president and first lady into custody. Trump later posted an image on social media appearing to show Maduro aboard a US aircraft carrier before being transferred to New York.
The U.S. attorney general confirmed that Maduro and Flores would face trial in the United States based on a 2020 indictment, according to the Guardian. However, legal experts questioned the constitutional and international legal basis for abducting a sitting head of state, as it remains unclear whether Congress was consulted prior to the operation. The United Nations Security Council is scheduled to meet to discuss the incident, with UN Secretary-General António Guterres warning that the U.S. action sets a “dangerous precedent.”
Venezuela’s government condemned the operation as an illegal act of aggression. Vice President Delcy Rodríguez described the capture as a “kidnapping” and demanded proof of life for Maduro and Flores, accusing the United States of killing civilians and violating international law (The Guardian; Al Jazeera). Venezuela’s defense minister called the assault a “criminal regime change operation,” while the government said that multiple regions, including Caracas, Miranda, La Guaira and Aragua have been struck amidst U.S. military operations.
Trump has justified the operation by accusing Maduro of fueling migration to the U.S. and overseeing drug trafficking networks. According to the BBC, Trump has designated Venezuelan criminal groups as foreign terrorist organizations and has repeatedly accused Maduro of supporting narcotics smuggling. However, counternarcotics experts say Venezuela is a relatively minor transit country for drugs, and U.S. government data does not identify Venezuela as a source of fentanyl entering the United States.
Oil is also a central issue in the escalation. Venezuela holds the world’s largest proven crude oil reserves, and Trump claimed that U.S. companies would be allowed to invest heavily in Venezuela’s oil infrastructure following Maduro’s removal (Al Jazeera; BBC). Venezuelan officials have accused Washington of using drug enforcement claims as a pretext to seize control of the country’s natural resources, a charge U.S. officials have denied.
Reactions among Venezuelans have been divided. Supporters of Maduro gathered in Caracas to protest his capture, while members of the Venezuelan diaspora in countries such as Chile and Spain celebrated what they described as the end of a dictatorship (Al Jazeera). Regional leaders, including Colombia’s president and Cuba’s government, condemned the operation and warned it could destabilize Latin America (the Guardian).
As questions remain unresolved over Venezuela’s leadership and the operation’s legality, the action represents a major escalation of U.S. involvement in the region, raising concerns about regional stability and the application of international law.
