In an early morning announcement on Saturday, December 3, 2025, President Donald Trump declared that U.S. military forces have successfully captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, following a large-scale strike on targets in Venezuela. The couple has been flown out of the country to face justice in the United States.
Explosions rocked Caracas and surrounding areas in the pre-dawn hours, with reports of strikes on military facilities including Fuerte Tiuna, Venezuela’s largest complex. U.S. officials described the operation — reportedly involving elite Delta Force units — as a precise effort to execute a long-standing federal arrest warrant, with supporting kinetic action to protect American personnel.
Maduro, who succeeded Hugo Chávez in 2013 and has ruled Venezuela amid widespread accusations of authoritarianism and economic collapse, was indicted by a U.S. federal grand jury in March 2020 on charges of narco-terrorism, conspiracy to import cocaine into the United States, and related offenses. Prosecutors allege Maduro led the “Cartel de los Soles,” a drug-trafficking organization involving high-ranking Venezuelan officials and ties to Colombian rebels, aimed at flooding the U.S. with cocaine as a political weapon.
The U.S. Department of State had offered a reward of up to $50 million for information leading to his arrest or conviction, reflecting years of escalating pressure on the Maduro regime, which Washington accuses of running a “narco-state” and rigging elections.
Venezuelan officials declared a national emergency, with Vice President Delcy Rodríguez demanding “proof of life” for Maduro. No U.S. casualties were reported.
President Trump hailed the mission as a “brilliant operation” and is scheduled to hold a press conference at Mar-a-Lago later today.