Trump Claims U.S. Forces Capture Venezuela’s President Maduro

Tensions Escalate After Explosions in Caracas

By Arshad Last updated Jan 3, 2026

WASHINGTON: Former U.S. President Donald Trump has claimed that the United States carried out a successful military operation in Venezuela, resulting in the arrest of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife and their transfer out of the country.

In a statement posted on his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump said the operation was conducted on a large scale.
“The United States of America has successfully carried out a major operation against Venezuela and its leader, President Nicolás Maduro. Following this operation, Maduro and his wife have been arrested and moved out of the country,” he wrote.

President Donald Trump has claimed that the US carried out a ‘large-scale strike’ against Venezuela and captured its leader, President Nicolas Maduro. The abduction of a foreign leader by another state is a serious violation of international law. pic.twitter.com/oSz3sqBCuL

— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) January 3, 2026

According to the U.S. claim, this would represent one of the most significant instances of direct American military intervention in Latin America in decades. The last comparable intervention occurred in 1989, when the United States invaded Panama to remove military ruler Manuel Noriega from power.

So far, the Venezuelan government has not officially confirmed President Maduro’s arrest, nor has it responded to the U.S. claims. Authorities in Caracas have remained silent as uncertainty surrounds the situation.

The United States has previously accused President Maduro of running a so-called “narco-state” linked to drug trafficking and of rigging elections. Maduro, who came to power in 2013 after the death of Hugo Chávez, has consistently rejected these allegations, maintaining that Washington seeks to seize control of Venezuela’s vast oil reserves, considered among the largest in the world.

The reported development comes amid rising tensions between the United States and Venezuela, especially after recent explosions in the Venezuelan capital, Caracas, and other areas, which have further escalated the already strained relationship between the two countries.