The Capture of Nicolás Maduro: A Military Operation Unfolded

Thu Jan 08 2026 00:41:59 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

In a bold military operation dubbed 'Operation Absolute Resolve', US forces successfully captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in Caracas. The event unfolded rapidly, resulting in Maduro and his wife facing serious charges in New York.

Nicolás Maduro, the embattled President of Venezuela, was captured in a surprise military operation executed by US forces. The operation, which lasted approximately 150 minutes, began early in the morning with coordinated airstrikes aimed at disabling Venezuela's defenses. Maduro and his wife were apprehended while attempting to flee to a fortified shelter and have since been brought to the US to face serious accusations of narco-terrorism. The military operation has drawn significant international attention and discussions about its implications.

The US says its military operation to capture Venezuela's president took months of planning, but when Donald Trump gave the order to launch, 'Operation Absolute Resolve' only lasted about 150 minutes.

The surprise early-morning attack on Saturday marked an unprecedented event in modern politics and culminated in the arrest of Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores.

Captured by troops from an elite US army unit as they tried to flee into a fortified safe room, the pair are now being held in a detention centre in New York and face narco-terrorism charges.

As the sun rose on Saturday, the scale of the military operation in Caracas, Venezuela’s capital, was clear. Pictures from Fuerte Tiuna, a huge military complex where top government officials live, show bombed out buildings and charred, smouldering cars.

The operation began at 02:00 local time with an aerial attack, where US military helicopters flew low over Caracas while engaging local defenses. In coordination, airstrikes targeted several significant facilities across the city, including Fuerte Tiuna, confirming that the US maintained total surprise.

Once on the ground, troops from the US Army's Delta Force moved swiftly to secure the compound, apprehending the Maduros as they attempted to escape into their armored safe room. Reports state that they surrendered without a struggle, even though they tried to reach a heavily fortified exit.

Following their capture, they were flown aboard a US warship to Guantánamo Bay, and then to New York City, where they are held under tight security. Both face grave accusations linked to narco-terrorism and weapons charges, marking a significant moment in US-Venezuela relations.