Trump Details Raid Capturing Maduro in Venezuela

President Donald Trump has confirmed that US forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro during a large-scale military raid in Caracas. The operation, conducted early Saturday, involved storming a heavily fortified building and extracting the Venezuelan leader. Trump provided these details in an interview with Fox News, noting that American troops came under fire during the mission. Despite the engagement, the President reported that no US personnel were killed, though a helicopter sustained significant damage. The capture marks a significant escalation in tensions between the United States and Venezuela, culminating in a direct military action against the Venezuelan head of state.

The raid was described as highly organized, with US forces operating under near-total darkness after reportedly disabling power in the capital. Trump indicated that the operation was coordinated with American law enforcement, specifically the Department of Justice, which has already secured an indictment against Maduro. The President also hinted at future US involvement in Venezuela's oil industry following the successful extraction of Maduro and his wife. This event follows months of increased US military presence in the Caribbean and repeated accusations by the Trump administration regarding Venezuela's involvement in drug trafficking.

According to President Donald Trump, the military operation began with a direct assault on a target in Caracas. The President characterized the location as a "very highly guarded" structure, describing it as "like a fortress." US forces successfully breached the defenses and closed in on President Nicolás Maduro before he could reach a designated "safety space" that was surrounded by steel. The raid was conducted under the cover of darkness, with Trump stating that the US "turned off almost all of the lights in Caracas." This tactical advantage allowed the troops to approach the target with near total darkness, facilitating the capture.

During the assault, US troops and an accompanying aircraft faced resistance. Trump reported that the forces "came under fire" during the operation. He provided specific details regarding the condition of the personnel and equipment following the engagement. "I think we had nobody killed, I have to say, because a couple of guys were hit. But they came back, and they're supposed to be in pretty good shape," Trump stated. Regarding aerial assets, he noted, "We lost no aircraft; everything came back — we got it all back. One of them was hit pretty hard — a helicopter — but we got it back."

The capture of Nicolás Maduro was followed immediately by legal actions from the United States government. Attorney General Pamela Bondi announced that Maduro has been indicted in the Southern District of New York. The charges are related to various drug-related offenses. Bondi issued a stern warning, stating, "They will soon face the full wrath of American justice on American soil in American courts." This indicates that the US intends to prosecute Maduro within the American legal system following his removal from Venezuela.

Despite the President's public statements, official military channels appeared to defer comment. The Pentagon referred questions regarding Trump's specific comments about the raid to the White House. As of the time of the interview, the White House had not immediately responded to requests for additional information regarding the operation. This suggests a coordinated but tightly controlled release of information regarding the sensitive military and diplomatic event.

The raid on Caracas represents a major escalation in the Trump administration's pressure campaign against Venezuela. In recent months, the US has built up a massive military presence in the Caribbean Sea, deploying advanced warships, fighter jets, and an aircraft carrier. The White House had repeatedly threatened military action, accusing Venezuela's leadership of facilitating drug-trafficking—a claim Nicolás Maduro has rejected. Prior to this raid, US forces had conducted dozens of strikes against alleged drug vessels in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific, resulting in over 100 deaths and the seizure of multiple Venezuela-linked oil tankers.

Trump also revealed the operational timing, noting that the raid was delayed due to environmental factors. "We were going to do this four days ago, but the weather was not perfect," he explained. "We had just the perfect weather." The President also outlined future intentions regarding the region's resources, stating that the US is "going to be strongly involved in Venezuela's oil industry moving forward." This suggests that the military action is intended to facilitate broader economic and political changes in the country.

While the United States detailed the success of the raid, Venezuelan officials offered a different perspective on the events in Caracas. The Venezuelan government strongly condemned the strikes, asserting that American forces targeted both military and civilian areas. This characterization contrasts with the US description of a precise strike on a fortified command center. The conflicting narratives highlight the volatility of the situation and the difficulty in verifying events on the ground in a closed media environment.

Social media platforms circulated video footage that appeared to corroborate reports of military activity in the region. The videos reportedly showed helicopters flying low to the ground in Venezuela, consistent with the aerial extraction described by President Trump. While the authenticity of the footage could not be independently verified by this publication, the visual evidence aligns with the timeline and nature of the operation described by the US President during his interview.