In what Secretary of War Pete Hegseth described as a "flawlessly executed" demonstration of American military superiority, U.S. Special Operations forces executed a lightning-fast raid in Venezuela in the early-morning hours Saturday, capturing and arresting Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro on charges of narco-terrorism, conspiracy to import cocaine, possession of machine guns and destructive devices, and conspiracy to possess machine guns and destructive devices. Maduro's wife, Cilia Flores, was also captured in the raid.
The extraction was carried out by operators from the U.S. Army's Delta Force, supported by the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment's advanced helicopters.
In a phone interview Saturday morning on Fox & Friends Weekend, President Donald Trump revealed that he watched the raid unfold in real time from Mar-a-Lago and that the mission had been delayed four days due to weather. He emphasized that, despite a helicopter taking hits in the heavily fortified target area, only minor injuries occurred among U.S. troops, with no Americans killed.
.@POTUS on the moment Maduro was captured:
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) January 3, 2026
"He was in a house that was more like a fortress than a house. It had steel doors, it had what they call a safety space where it's solid steel... He was trying to get into it, but he got bum rushed so fast that he didn't." pic.twitter.com/xtYh1Jo8wX
During his press conference Saturday afternoon at Mar-a-Lago, President Trump described the operation as one in which “overwhelming American military power, air, land and sea was used to launch a spectacular assault, and it was an assault like people have not seen since World War II.”
The raid lasted just under 30 minutes.
READ MORE: Trump Updates World on 'Operation Absolute Resolve' – and Reveals Who Will Now Run Venezuela
This success would not have been possible without the massive regional buildup under Operation Southern Spear, which included the USS Gerald R. Ford carrier strike group with its dozens of tactical aircraft and approximately 15,000 U.S. troops positioned across the Caribbean.
Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Dan Caine, speaking alongside President Trump at Saturday's Mar-a-Lago press conference, called it “an audacious operation that only the United States could do,” involving “aircraft and troops from 20 different bases across the Western Hemisphere.” The scale and coordination required to stage and execute such a mission underscores the mission as a vivid illustration of American military dominance.
Low-flying special operations helicopters from the elite 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (SOAR) were integral to the extraction. SOAR is the U.S. Army's premier helicopter unit dedicated to supporting high-risk missions. Known worldwide as the "Night Stalkers" for their unmatched expertise in nighttime, low-level flights in the most challenging environments, these pilots live by the motto "Night Stalkers Don’t Quit."
.@SecWar — WELCOME TO TRUMP'S 2026: 🔥
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) January 3, 2026
"Finally, a commander in chief, the world respects and the American people deserve...
What all of us witnessed last night, was sheer guts and grit. Gallantry and glory of the American worry, I’m simply humbled by such men...
THIS is… pic.twitter.com/AOU4EjtxmN
The airstrikes were conducted to neutralize threats like Venezuela’s Russian-made surface-to-air missile systems at La Carlota, which could have targeted American aircraft. According to sources with knowledge of the operation, the CIA conducted months of covert surveillance in preparation for Maduro's capture and managed on-the-ground assets inside Venezuela that provided the actionable intelligence that made the raid possible.
As RedState previously reported, the Trump administration viewed removing Maduro as essential for long-term victory in the war on drugs, recognizing his regime as a central hub enabling fentanyl flows into America. His arrest, though, is based on a 2020 indictment in the Southern District of New York. As of August 2025, the State Department was offering a $50 million reward for information leading to Maduro's arrest and/or conviction.
.@SecRubio: "[Nicolás Maduro] is not the legitimate president of Venezuela. That's not just us saying it...he's not recognized by the EU and multiple countries around the world...
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) January 3, 2026
...he is a FUGITIVE of American justice." pic.twitter.com/vDgNefxsSD
This is a developing story. RedState will provide updates as more information becomes available.
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