Vice President JD Vance made it crystal clear this weekend: Nicolas Maduro had plenty of chances to walk away before US troops moved in. According to Vance, Venezuela’s strongman ignored every warning, only to become the “newest person to find out that President Trump means what he says.” Vance laid it out bluntly on X, revealing that the White House repeatedly tried to avoid a showdown. “The president offered multiple off ramps, but was very clear throughout this process: the drug trafficking must stop, and the stolen oil must be returned to the United States,” he wrote.
But Maduro didn’t budge. And now, Vance says, he’s learning the hard way. “You don’t get to avoid justice for drug trafficking in the United States because you live in a palace in Caracas.” President Donald Trump wasted no time celebrating the dramatic capture, praising the US military as reports emerged that elite Delta Force operators swooped in as bombs fell over Caracas. The Venezuelan leader and his wife were seized and flown out of the country in what Trump later called a flawless mission
The US President Trump ordered strikes on sites inside Venezuela , including military facilities, U.S . Source- CBS News.
bombed Generalissimo Francisco de Miranda Air Base, La Guaira Naval Base.
Nicolás Maduro says Country is being attacked Fuerte Tiuna pic.twitter.com/aV3zPOkxnK
— KOT YOUNGEST (OMAR) (@faridazmaritim) January 3, 2026
“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 announced on Truth Social. “This operation was done in conjunction with U.S. Law Enforcement,” added Trump, speaking from Mar-a-Lago as his holiday break wrapped up.
In a brief phone call with The New York Times, Trump couldn’t hide his pride, calling it “it was a brilliant operation, actually.” He went on to praise “a lot of good planning and lot of great, great troops and great people,” sidestepping questions about whether Congress had signed off.
ATTACK ON VENEZUELA | President Donald Trump has announced that the U.S. would take control of Venezuela after this morning’s attack, until a safe transition occurs. #Venezuela #DonaldTrump #NicolasMaduro pic.twitter.com/6cfygDN8lJ
— Andrea Falche Dominicci, M.A. (@falchedominicci) January 3, 2026
Attorney General Pam Bondi promised the hammer is coming down hard. “They will soon face the full wrath of American justice on American soil in American courts,” she declared, confirming drug and terrorism charges against both Maduro and his wife. As the dust settled, Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s camp declared the mission over, with no further action planned now that Maduro is in US custody. One message echoed loudly across Washington: “The tyrant is gone. He will now — finally — face justice for his crimes.”
Still, the timing raised eyebrows. The capture comes just days after Trump vowed “Peace on Earth” as his New Year’s resolution and only two days after Venezuela floated renewed cooperation talks. Coincidence or message sent, Maduro’s fall marks a dramatic new chapter in Trump’s hardline playbook.
