U.S. captures Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in surprise military raid
NEW YORK CITY, NY (NBC) -- Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro is in U.S. custody in New York tonight after a surprise overnight military operation on his compound in Caracas, dramatically reshaping the political future of Venezuela and raising urgent legal and diplomatic questions in Washington.
Overnight Raid in Caracas
According to U.S. officials, the operation began late Friday night when President Donald Trump authorized a military mission targeting Maduro in the Venezuelan capital.
Troops from 20 U.S. military bases, supported by approximately 150 aircraft, took part in the raid, with an elite strike force reaching Maduro’s compound around 1 a.m. local time.
General Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, described the operation as the product of extensive planning: “This mission was meticulously planned, drawing lessons from decades of missions over the last many years.”
By early morning, Maduro and his wife were in U.S. custody and transported to New York, where they are expected to make their first appearances before a federal judge in the coming days.
Trump: U.S. Will Run Venezuela “Indefinitely”
In a televised statement, President Trump said the overnight action followed his direct order to the U.S. Armed Forces to move against Maduro’s regime.
“Late last night and early today, at my direction, the United States Armed Forces conducted an extraordinary military operation in the capital of Venezuela,” Trump said.
The president declared that, with Maduro deposed, the United States will now run Venezuela for the foreseeable future. “We’re going to run the country until such time, as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition,” he said.
Trump also tied the future of Venezuela’s vast oil wealth to his vision of the country’s reconstruction and to U.S. interests. Venezuela is widely known to hold the world’s largest proven oil reserves.
“We’re going to be taking out a tremendous amount of wealth out of the ground,” Trump said, adding that the wealth would go “to the people of Venezuela and people from outside of Venezuela that used to be in Venezuela, and it goes also to the United States of America in the form of reimbursement for the damages caused us by that country.”
Celebrations in Venezuelan Communities Abroad
News of Maduro’s capture triggered celebrations among many Venezuelans living abroad, who have long viewed his ouster as the first step toward restoring democracy.
In Doral, Florida—home to a large Venezuelan community—crowds took to the streets waving flags, singing, and honking car horns late into the night.
“Everybody’s just happy, because everybody has been waiting for democracy and change in Venezuela,” said Doral Councilwoman Nicole Reinoso, reflecting the sense of relief among many exiles who blame Maduro for years of economic collapse and political repression.
Similar scenes unfolded in other cities with sizable Venezuelan diasporas, as demonstrators hailed the end of Maduro’s reign and expressed cautious hope about what comes next under U.S. oversight.
Backlash on Capitol Hill
Even as some Venezuelans celebrated, the operation sparked immediate controversy in Washington, where both Democrats and some Republicans demanded answers from the Trump administration about the legal basis for the raid and the decision to bypass Congress.
Lawmakers expressed outrage that they were not briefed in advance about a major U.S. military action to arrest a foreign head of state and effectively assume control over another country.
“Now they’re saying they’re going to occupy a foreign country,” said Senator Ruben Gallego, Democrat of Arizona. “We’re going to run it from the United States, and that we’re going to steal their oil. In what world did this administration get any of that permission ever for them to do that?”
Many members of Congress are calling the mission “illegal,” questioning whether existing authorizations for the use of military force apply and whether the administration has violated both U.S. and international law.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended the decision to keep Congress in the dark, arguing that notifying lawmakers beforehand would have jeopardized the mission to capture Maduro.
What Comes Next
Maduro and his wife are expected to appear before a federal judge in the next couple of days, though U.S. officials have not yet detailed the specific charges they may face or which court will hear the case.
Key questions remain about how the U.S. intends to “run” Venezuela, how long any occupation or transitional administration might last, and what role Venezuelan opposition leaders and international partners will play in shaping the country’s political future.
The operation is also likely to reverberate globally, sparking debate over sovereignty, regime change, and control over natural resources, particularly in a nation with such vast oil reserves.
NBC News will air a special edition of NBC Nightly News tonight with expanded coverage of the raid in Venezuela, the international reaction, and what this unprecedented move could mean for U.S. foreign policy and Venezuelan democracy.
