Mr. Trump announced that U.S. forces had captured President Maduro and his wife following a pre-dawn raid on the capital, Caracas.
At around 2 a.m. on January 3 (1 p.m. Hanoi time), Venezuela's capital Caracas was shaken by a series of loud explosions, along with numerous low-flying aircraft and helicopters in operation. U.S. and international media later reported that Washington had launched a large-scale strike against Venezuela after months of applying both political and military pressure on President Nicolás Maduro's government.
The strike lasted about 30 minutes. Images and videos circulating on social media and verified by multiple news agencies showed several Venezuelan bases being attacked with long-range missiles and rockets fired from armed helicopters.
The Venezuelan government accused the United States of being behind the attacks on Caracas and three provinces—Aragua, Miranda, and La Guaira—aimed at regime change and seizing the country's resources. The statement also said President Maduro had declared a nationwide state of emergency, ordered full mobilization, and called on the international community to intervene.
Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López later announced the deployment of military forces under Maduro's orders to resist foreign military presence" and urged the public to remain calm.
However, the missile and rocket strikes by the U.S. were likely a diversion for a more daring commando raid carried out by American special forces targeting President Maduro. Minutes after Minister López's statement, U.S. President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social that the United States had "successfully carried out a large-scale strike on Venezuela," and had captured President Maduro and his wife and removed them from the country.
Unnamed U.S. officials told CBS that Delta Force, one of America's most elite special operations units, conducted the raid in Caracas and captured the presidential couple.
In later comments to the media, Trump said the operation had achieved its objective of capturing Maduro alive, describing it as "very carefully planned, involving outstanding personnel," but provided no further details.
Republican Senator Mike Lee, citing U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, explained that the deployment of military forces to Caracas was intended to "protect law enforcement personnel" executing an arrest warrant against Maduro, who is wanted by the U.S. on charges of collaborating with notorious criminal organizations such as Tren de Aragua and the Sinaloa Cartel. The U.S. had offered a $50 million reward for information leading to his capture.
The U.S. government may use this legal argument to defend the constitutionality of the operation in Venezuela, as it used force against another country without declaring war or receiving congressional approval.
Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez acknowledged that the government currently does not know the whereabouts of Maduro and his wife, and demanded that those involved provide proof that they are still alive.
Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello, one of Maduro's closest allies, called on the public to trust the leadership in Caracas and "not assist invading enemies."
Under Venezuela's Constitution, if President Maduro is unable to govern, power would temporarily pass to the vice president. However, the current situation is considered unprecedented, as the U.S. does not recognize the legitimacy of Maduro's government, while the opposition claims that exiled former lawmaker Edmundo González is the rightful president.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro called on the United Nations and the Organization of American States to hold an emergency meeting, while Cuba, Iran, and Russia strongly condemned what they described as a U.S. "invasion."
In recent months, President Trump has repeatedly stated that he would carry out a ground offensive in Venezuela to increase pressure on Maduro to step down.
Since September 2025, the U.S. has significantly increased its military presence in waters off Venezuela's coast, carrying out dozens of operations targeting boats accused of transporting drugs at sea, as well as strikes on one of the country's ports. Earlier this week, President Maduro said he was willing to cooperate with the U.S. after weeks of pressure, but received no response.