January 3, 2026 - BREAKING NEWS
President Nicolas Maduro and his wife have been CAPTURED and flown to the United States
"The United States of America has successfully carried out a large scale strike against Venezuela and its leader, President Nicolas Maduro, who has been, along with his wife, captured and flown out of the Country"
| Charge | Minimum | Maximum |
|---|---|---|
| Narco-terrorism conspiracy | 20 years | LIFE |
| Cocaine importing conspiracy | 10 years | LIFE |
| Machine guns/weapons during crimes | 30 years | N/A |
| # | Target | Type | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fuerte Tiuna | Largest Military Complex | FIRE BURNING |
| 2 | La Carlota Airport | Military Airfield | BOMBED |
| 3 | Federal Legislative Palace | Parliament Building | HIT |
| 4 | Mountain military garrison | Catia la Mar | HIT |
| 5 | Airport | El Hatillo | HIT |
| 6 | F-16 Air Base No. 3 | Barquisimeto | HIT |
| 7 | Private airport | Charallave | HIT |
| 8 | Suspected cocaine factory | Unknown | BOMBED |
| 9 | La Guaira Port | Port Infrastructure | HIT |
| 10 | Gas transportation | Caracas | HIT |
| 11 | Communications | Multiple locations | STRUCK |
| Name | Position | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Nicolas Maduro | President | CAPTURED (per Trump) - VP demands proof of life |
| Cilia Flores | First Lady | CAPTURED (per Trump) |
| Vladimir Padrino Lopez | Defense Minister | UNCLEAR - conflicting reports |
| Delcy Rodriguez | Vice President | Active - demanding proof of life |
| Location | Status |
|---|---|
| Caracas International Airport | UNDER US CONTROL |
| Fuerte Tiuna Military Base | DESTROYED |
| Northern Caribbean Islands | US MARINES IN CONTROL |
| Caracas Streets | Street fighting subsiding |
| Miraflores Palace | Status unclear |
| Asset | Details |
|---|---|
| USS Gerald R. Ford | Aircraft carrier (world's most advanced) |
| 5 Guided-missile destroyers | Including Bainbridge, Mahan, Winston S. Churchill |
| 2 Guided-missile cruisers | Caribbean Sea |
| Amphibious assault ship | Troop transport |
| F-35 Stealth Fighters | Deployed to Puerto Rico |
| CV-22 Ospreys | Special forces transport |
| MQ-9 Reaper drones | Strike/surveillance |
| TOTAL | ~15,000 US personnel in region |
| Official | Party | Statement |
|---|---|---|
| Sen. Ruben Gallego (AZ) | Democrat | "This war is illegal. Second unjustified war in my lifetime." (Iraq veteran) |
| Sen. Brian Schatz (HI) | Democrat | Criticized Trump's decision to initiate military operation |
Note: Trump acted while Congress is in recess (resumes Jan 5-7)
Vice President Delcy Rodriguez: "We do not know where President Nicolás Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores are. We demand proof of life."
| # | Country | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Somalia | February 1, 2025 |
| 2 | Yemen | March 15, 2025 |
| 3 | Iran | June 22, 2025 |
| 4 | Syria | December 19, 2025 |
| 5 | Nigeria | December 25, 2025 |
| 6 | Venezuela | January 3, 2026 |
| Operation | Target | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Panama 1989 | Noriega | Captured, tried in US |
| Iraq 2003 | Saddam Hussein | Captured (later), executed |
| Libya 2011 | Gaddafi | Killed |
| Venezuela 2026 | Maduro | Captured, flown to US |
Significance: Largest US military action in Caribbean since Cuban Missile Crisis (1962). First capture of a sitting foreign president by US special forces in modern era.
| Item | Status |
|---|---|
| Nicolás Maduro | CAPTURED - IN US CUSTODY |
| Cilia Flores (wife) | CAPTURED - IN US CUSTODY |
| Defense Minister Padrino Lopez | KILLED |
| Caracas Airport | US CONTROLLED |
| Venezuelan Military | COLLAPSING |
| Opposition | PREPARING TO TAKE POWER |
Source: The Guardian reports governments and families say many dead were civilians—primarily fishers.