Operation "New Dawn"? The Capture of Nicolás Maduro

 In a move that has sent shockwaves through the geopolitical landscape, reports confirm that U.S. special operations forces have detained Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. Following a night of explosions and confusion in Caracas, President Donald Trump has officially claimed responsibility for the operation, declaring that the Venezuelan strongman is now in U.S. custody.

Here is a breakdown of the lightning-fast operation that allegedly plucked a sitting head of state from his bedroom and flew him to face American justice.

🚨 What We Know So Far

• The Operation: Early Saturday morning (Jan 3, 2026), U.S. Army Delta Force commandos executed a high-risk raid in Venezuela.

• The Target: Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were the primary targets.

• The Confirmation: President Trump announced the success of the mission on Truth Social, posting an image of a handcuffed and blindfolded Maduro aboard the USS Iwo Jima.

• The Venezuelan Response: Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez appeared on state TV, admitting the government had "lost contact" with the President and demanding "proof of life," effectively confirming the leadership vacuum.

• The Charges: The U.S. intends to try Maduro in New York on long-standing indictments related to "narco-terrorism" and drug trafficking.

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🕵️‍♂️ Dragged from the Bedroom: A "Ball-by-Ball" Account

While official operational details remain classified, leaks from Washington and eyewitness reports from Caracas have pieced together a dramatic timeline of the night’s events.

02:00 AM – The Distraction Residents in Caracas reported hearing low-flying aircraft and a series of loud explosions. These were likely precision airstrikes targeting key military infrastructure and air defenses to clear a path for the extraction team. Chaos erupted in the capital, acting as a "shock and awe" distraction.

02:15 AM – The Breach According to reports, elite operators from the U.S. Delta Force—the same unit credited with the raids on ISIS leaders—stormed the heavy military fortress where Maduro was sleeping. Sources suggest the team utilized "massive blowtorches" and breaching charges to cut through the reinforced steel "safe room" Maduro had retreated to.

02:30 AM – The Capture In what is being described as a humiliating end to his rule, Maduro and his wife were reportedly "dragged from their bedroom." President Trump described the scene vividly, claiming the Venezuelan leader was caught unprepared despite the fortress-like security. There were reportedly no U.S. casualties, a sign of the mission's "surgical" precision.

03:00 AM – The Extraction Within an hour of the first explosion, the package was secured. The couple was loaded onto waiting helicopters and flown out of Venezuelan airspace to the USS Iwo Jima, an amphibious assault ship stationed in the Caribbean.

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🇺🇸 Trump Claims Capture: "A New Dawn"

President Trump, speaking from Mar-a-Lago, hailed the mission as "brilliant" and "meticulous."

"He effed around and he found out," stated Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, summarizing the administration's stance.

The rhetoric has shifted quickly from military success to economic strategy. Trump explicitly mentioned that the U.S. would now be "very strongly involved" in Venezuela's oil industry, signaling a potential return of American energy companies to the region.

📉 The Fallout

The international community is reeling. Allies of Venezuela, including Russia and Cuba, have condemned the act as "piracy" and a violation of international sovereignty. Meanwhile, the streets of Caracas are a mix of confusion, fear, and celebration as the reality of a post-Maduro Venezuela sets in.

What happens next? Maduro is en route to New York to face trial, and the U.S. has signaled it may temporarily "run" Venezuela to stabilize the transition. Whether this leads to democracy or further instability remains the biggest question of 2026.

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Stay tuned for updates as this story develops.

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