According to a social media statement by US President Donald Trump, the United States arrested Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro on Saturday at around 3 am UTC-4. Maduro was “in a residence that was more like a fortress” in Caracas, the nation’s capital, Trump told reporters. Trump defended this move by asserting that Maduro is the head of the Cartel de los Soles and encouraging dangerous people to enter the country illegally. Following the attack, local authorities in Venezuela have asked for a meeting of the UN Security Council. According to the BBC, airstrikes in Caracas targeted Fort Tiuna, a military base where the US believed Maduro was situated, La Carlota, an airbase, and other locations. Although the precise figures are yet unknown, local officials report that there have been civilian fatalities and injuries.
The BBC also claimed that a CIA penetration of the Venezuelan administration was responsible for the operation. Despite Maduro’s several attempts to relocate, France 24 revealed that the CIA has been tracking his “every movement since August.” More than 150 military aircraft, including one helicopter intended to apprehend Maduro, were reportedly involved in the operation.
The Delta Force special operation force arrived to Maduro’s location at “2:01 a.m. local time,” according to US authorities, and managed to apprehend him before he could enter his solid steel safe room (sources differ on his precise location at that time). According to some reports, Trump claimed Maduro was asleep in his bed, while others claimed he was practically in his safe room. At 3:29 a.m., they crossed the Venezuelan coast and moved the “indicted persons” to a ship. Later, Trump disclosed that Maduro’s wife, Cilia Flores, had also been apprehended. Both were aboard the USS Iwo Jima (LHD-7), which was headed to the southern district of New York, where they would eventually face legal action. According to CNN, Attorney General Pam Bondi announced an indictment for directing “state-sponsored gangs” and aiding drug trafficking. The BBC quoted Bondi as stating, “[he will] face the full fury of American justice on American territory in American courts.”
Authorities in Venezuela have proclaimed a state of emergency and reported further strikes that are allegedly intended to seize its minerals and oil. They have condemned the action as a “severe military aggression,” along with Cuba, Colombia, Iran, and Russia. Javier Milei, the president of Argentina, backed the initiative. Venezuela’s vice president, Delcy Rodríguez, demanded the release of Maduro and his wife, claiming that the operation violated the nation’s territorial integrity. Yván Gil Pinto, the country’s foreign minister, stated that the country requested an urgent UN Security Council meeting following the incident. According to the BBC, these strikes come after over 30 strikes on Venezuelan ships and a strike on a “dock area” in Maracaibo that left over 110 people dead. According to the Trump administration, it is fighting “alleged drug smugglers in a non-international armed conflict.” Legal experts question the legitimacy of these activities, claiming that the strikes are not against “lawful military targets,” according to the BBC. CNN claims that Trump also defended not informing Congress prior to the operation in order to prevent a “leak,” which angered Democratic members.
Following the arrest, Maduro and others were charged with “conspiracy to commit narco-terrorism and conspiracy to import cocaine” in an indictment released by the US Justice Department. Maduro has refuted this, according to the BBC, and has previously stated that Trump’s true objective is to gain access to Venezuela’s oil riches, as demonstrated by the US seizing multiple oil tankers.
