Nicolás Maduro, the Illegitimate Venezuelan leader, is now in custody in New York City awaiting his first in-person appearance in an American court, after U.S. special forces extracted him in an early morning raid in Venezuela on Saturday. Maduro and wife Cilia Flores were indicted on a range of charges in the Southern District of New York, as well.
President Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth spoke to media on Saturday morning on the audacious op that captured the Maduros, as RedState previously wrote.
Here are some of the images the White House released as the operation happened in real time:
NEW: The White House releases photos of President Trump and his national security team monitoring the Venezuela mission from Mar-a-Lago pic.twitter.com/kCyPXGZGGJ
— Fox News (@FoxNews) January 3, 2026
More in a minute on some whisperings people have been making about who is, and isn't, in those snapshots.
As I wrote earlier, one of the leading opposition voices to Maduro's dictatorial regime, Maria Corina Machado, made remarks on Saturday after the news broke about Maduro's capture and extraction, stating her preference on who will take over the Venezuelan presidential seat immediately.
But it is still up in the air who will lead the country on a long term basis.
READ MORE: Venezuela Promises to Be a Geopolitical Game Changer If Trump Can Convert a Triumph Into Victory
Venezuelan Opposition Leader Machado Shares Who She Thinks Should Lead After Maduro Capture
The leftists in our country, however, did not take it well, pretty much suffering a massive meltdown, including the newly sworn-in mayor of New York City, Dromcratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani, who swiftly placed a phone call with POTUS over the matter. Then there were the performative posts by Congressional Democrats, who bemoaned the move as "illegal," and a "war" that was not authorized by Congress.
READ: Socialist NYC Mayor Mamdani Rages Over Maduro Capture, Speed Dials Trump
Hot Takes: Trump's Middle of the Night Op Is Giving the Democrats Heartburn
Vice President JD Vance, though, has bad news for them. First, when responding to the immediate reporting on Venezuela, he stated that the administration gave the alleged narcotrafficker and despot "multiple off ramps," then he praised the U.S. military for its precise work:
The president offered multiple off ramps, but was very clear throughout this process: the drug trafficking must stop, and the stolen oil must be returned to the United States. Maduro is the newest person to find out that President Trump means what he says.
— JD Vance (@JDVance) January 3, 2026
Kudos to our brave… pic.twitter.com/b1fqkdbB4x
The post continued: "Kudos to our brave special operators who pulled off a truly impressive operation."
Vance turned next to any of the Dems who are conflicted over this, adding this timely PSA (public service announcement):
And PSA for everyone saying this was "illegal":
— JD Vance (@JDVance) January 3, 2026
Maduro has multiple indictments in the United States for narcoterrorism. You don't get to avoid justice for drug trafficking in the United States because you live in a palace in Caracas.
Boom. Plus, if they have any follow-up questions, AG Bondi helpful has the full charges for them to examine.
Some on social media wondered why the vice president wasn't in the war room snapshots, or at the president's press conference. Now there's an explanation, according to Fox News White House correspondent, Aishah Hasnie:
VP VANCE met with TRUMP in West Palm Beach daytime Friday to discuss strikes. He was not physically at Mar a Lago during strikes but joined via secure video line.
Returned to Cincinnati after the operation concluded.
The White House is "trying to limit co-locating POTUS and VP when they are away from the White House due to increased security concerns," Fox News reported.
In the meantime, Rubio may be adding more jobs to his workload:
Rubio realizing he’s going to be president of Venezuela, governor of Cuba, and the Shah of Iran. pic.twitter.com/wh5S2gpIi9
— Antonio García Martínez (agm.eth) (@antoniogm) January 3, 2026
[Editor's Note: This article was edited for clarity post-publication.]
Editor’s Note: Thanks to President Trump and his administration’s bold leadership, we are respected on the world stage, and our enemies are being put on notice.
Help us continue to report on the administration’s peace through strength foreign policy and its successes. Join RedState VIP and use promo code FIGHT to get 60% off your VIP membership.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member