On Saturday, Donald Trump ordered the US military to carry out land strikes on Venezuela and capture its President Nicolas Maduro. The unexpected attack left the nation, as well as the world, shocked.
In the end, the US Army’s mission was successful, and Maduro and his wife were flown out of the country. Trump broke his silence on the operation in the wake of the attack, revealing that it took extensive planning. He further appreciated the army for the mission’s success.
“A lot of good planning and a lot of great, great troops and people. It was a brilliant operation, actually,” the POTUS said in an interview with The New York Times.
Earlier on Saturday, the 79-year-old confirmed that US troops had entered Caracas to capture Maduro and “successfully carried out a large-scale strike against Venezuela and its leader.”
“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. This operation was done in conjunction with U.S. Law Enforcement.… pic.twitter.com/sFa5OC4ZrZ
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) January 3, 2026
As for the reason behind the attack, Trump has often called Maduro a “narcoterrorist” responsible for the drug menace in the US and has accused him of rigging elections in Venezuela.
On the other hand, the Latin American country has claimed that the US wants to lay its hands on its massive oil reserve, and is disguising the attack as a war on drugs.
Vice President JD Vance seemingly confirmed that oil was indeed a primary reason behind the strikes. Praising Trump’s leadership, he wrote on X, “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.”
Vance added, “Maduro is the newest person to find out that President Trump means what he says. Kudos to our brave special operators who pulled off a truly impressive operation.”
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. Maduro is the newest person to find out that President Trump means what he says.
Kudos to our brave… pic.twitter.com/b1fqkdbB4x
— JD Vance (@JDVance) January 3, 2026
Following the operation, Venezuelan authorities were concerned about Maduro’s whereabouts and asked for his proof of life from the US.
Attorney General Pam Bondi has now confirmed that the leader has been brought to the US, where he will undergo a trial in the Southern District of New York.
Along with Maduro, his wife, Cilia Flores, has also been brought to the Southern District, and both will face narcoterrorism charges according to US law. Bondi stated, “They will soon face the full wrath of American justice on American soil in American courts.”
She also did not miss the opportunity to boast about Trump’s achievements and said in her official statement, “On behalf of the entire U.S. DOJ, I would like to thank President Trump for having the courage to demand accountability on behalf of the American People, and a huge thank you to our brave military who conducted the incredible and highly successful mission to capture these two alleged international narco traffickers.”
While members of the Trump administration are hailing the move, others are concerned about the long-term implications of the operation, which is being seen as an invasion of Venezuela. The Southern American country has said that it has already started deploying troops to protect its sovereignty.
