“A decisive and justified operation that will protect American lives.
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US Military Operation Captures Venezuela's Maduro
January 3, 2026
On January 3, 2026, "Operation Absolute Resolve" deployed over 200 Delta Force operators and 150+ aircraft to capture President Nicolás Maduro in Caracas. Maduro and wife Cilia Flores were transferred to New York to face narco-terrorism charges. At least 23 Venezuelan and 32 Cuban security officers were killed. Six Latin American nations condemned the action as a violation of international law and the UN Charter. Americans are evenly split (33% approve, 34% disapprove) with a stark partisan divide. Congressional reaction split sharply along party lines: Republicans praised the operation's execution and its impact on drug trafficking, while Democrats condemned it as an illegal act of war undertaken without congressional authorization, with several accusing Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth of having misled senators in a December briefing that the Venezuela pressure campaign was not about regime change.
8
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8 Statements
“An incredible operation.
“I didn't trust them then and we see now that they blatantly lied to Congress.
“The operation was conducted with a level of professionalism and precision.
“This war is illegal, it's embarrassing that we went from the world cop to the world bully in less than one year.
“Trump's illegal and unprovoked bombing of Venezuela and kidnapping of its president are grave violations of international law and the U.S. Constitution.
“The actions taken today by the Trump administration are blatantly illegal.
“Without authorization from Congress, and with the vast majority of Americans opposed to military action, Trump just launched an unjustified, illegal strike on Venezuela.