[REVISION HISTORY]

US military operation and capture of Nicolás Maduro

2 recorded revisions of this situation.

What changed

2026-10-07 18:32 UTC → 2026-11-04 03:29 UTC · added ~~removed~~

In late 2025, intelligence reports indicated that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro dismissed military warnings regarding a potential United States operation. According to documents cited by Infobae, Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López recommended increasing military operational levels and suspending holiday leave during a high-level meeting on December 28, 2025. Maduro and other political figures reportedly downplayed the threat, with Maduro expressing surprise at the recommendation after receiving unofficial assurances that the United States would not target Venezuelan institutions or his family. On January 3, 2026, United States special forces conducted a military operation in Caracas, Venezuela, known as ‘Operation Absolute Resolve’. The mission resulted in the capture of Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, and the deaths of several of Maduro’s bodyguards. The Trump administration cited the Monroe Doctrine as justification for the intervention, asserting that the Americas should remain within the U.S. sphere of influence. Following the capture, Donald Trump indicated that the United States government would administer Venezuela during a transition period. On January 5, 2026, Maduro and Flores appeared in a New York court to plead not guilty to charges involving drugs and weapons. During this period, Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado met with President Trump at the White House. The operation drew international condemnation and raised concerns within the United Nations regarding the precedent established by the action. The sudden shift in leadership led Delcy Rodríguez to assume power, supported by Jorge Rodríguez, Diosdado Cabello, and Vladimir Padrino López. The intervention has created geopolitical tension with China, a major trading partner of Venezuela, and has raised questions regarding the status of Russian and Chinese military equipment previously acquired by the Venezuelan government.

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