U.S. Captures Maduro in Daring Overnight Raid, Trump Announces

Speaking at a Mar-a-Lago press conference, Trump said the operation involved "overwhelming American military power, air, land, and sea," and was executed under darkness to maintain surprise. "It was dark, and it was deadly," he said, adding that all Venezuelan military capacities were rendered "powerless."

Trump said Maduro and his wife, Celia Flores, were apprehended without the loss of any American life or equipment. "Not a single American service member was killed, and not a single piece of American equipment was lost," he said.

Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine said the mission, known as Operation Absolute Resolve, followed months of planning and involved coordination across the US military and intelligence agencies. "More than 150 aircraft" launched from "20 different bases across the Western Hemisphere," he said, with forces operating at low altitude to avoid detection.

Caine said helicopters came under fire during the operation but returned safely. "One of our aircraft was hit but remained flyable," he said, adding that the extraction force completed the mission and returned to sea with the detainees aboard the USS Iwo Jima.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth described the raid as a "massive joint military and law enforcement raid flawlessly executed." He said the operation demonstrated that "America can project our will anywhere, anytime."

Trump said Maduro was captured while attempting to reach a fortified safe area. "He was trying to get into a safe place," Trump said, adding that US forces moved faster than anticipated resistance.

Asked whether Congress was notified in advance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said it was not possible. "This was not the kind of mission that you can do congressional notification on," Rubio said, calling it a "trigger-based mission" that required secrecy to avoid jeopardizing success.

Trump said Maduro would be transferred to the United States to face trial. "Ultimately, in the near future, he's going to be brought to New York," he said, adding that detention decisions would be made by appropriate authorities.

Trump warned that the United States retained the ability to conduct additional operations if required. "We were prepared to do a second wave," he said, adding that American forces remain positioned in the region.

The arrest marks a dramatic escalation in US action against Venezuela's leadership, which Washington has accused for years of drug trafficking, regional destabilization and human rights abuses, amid a broader effort to curb criminal networks operating across the Western Hemisphere.

- IANS