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WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump declared Saturday’s military operation that led to the ouster of Nicolás Maduro a major success as he offered a vague plan for his administration “to run” Venezuela until a transition of power can take place. While there are no visible signs of a U.S. presence on the ground in Caracas, Trump was demonstrating chutzpah that’s become the trademark of his foreign policy approach. It’s one marked by a grand confidence that his will on the international stage is an immovable force.

However, these radars did little to defend Venezuela against an impending attack. A military observer who writes on defense matters said on X: “In the 3 hr operation to capture/arrest Maduro, US forces not only proved Russian air defense useless but also proved Chinese technology useless. This is a Chinese promo for its JY-27 ‘anti-stealth’ radar, of which Venezuela bought 9, all of which failed to detect the incoming aircraft.”

Maduro’s here. And the memes are fire!

Something that is not well understood: Tren de Aragua is not just a violent drug cartel - it is a foreign paramilitary organization that was infiltrated into the U.S. to function as the army of the Deep State, along with other enemies of this nation like the IRGC, Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps & hundreds of thousands of trained, uniformed members of the PLA - the People’s Liberation Army of the Chinese Communist Party. They were brought into this country under Joe Biden’s open border - by design.

US will run Venezuela until a legitimate government can be installed, the president saidPresident Donald Trump on Saturday described a meticulously planned, middle-of-the-night special forces operation that ended in the capture of Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro. The operation followed months of surveillance tracking Maduro's movements. Caracas went dark in the early morning hours of January 3 as Operation Absolute Resolve began with "discreet, precise" strikes that marked "the culmination of months of planning and rehearsal," according to chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine. It was an operation "that only the United States could do" through a...

Venezuela’s ousted dictator, Nicolás Maduro, was being held in a New York detention center Sunday as he awaited court proceedings on U.S. drug charges, a day after President Donald Trump ordered a raid to capture him and said the United States would take control of the oil-producing nation. Images of the 63-year-old Maduro blindfolded and handcuffed during his transfer to the United States stunned many Venezuelans and drew international criticism. The operation was Washington’s most contentious intervention in Latin America since the U.S. invasion of Panama 37 years ago. Maduro was scheduled to appear in federal court in Manhattan on...

President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended the administration’s decision not to brief senior congressional leaders ahead of the U.S. strike in Venezuela, arguing that advance notice would have jeopardized the operation that led to the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro. Speaking Saturday at a press conference carried by Newsmax, Rubio said the mission was "trigger-based," unfolding only when specific conditions were met after days of monitoring. He said it was not the type of operation that allowed for advance congressional notification, stressing that the action was fundamentally a law-enforcement mission, the arrest of "two indicted...

Venezuelans in South Florida poured into the streets of Doral early Saturday, celebrating what many called a historic turning point for their country after President Nicolas Maduro was removed from power, according to President Donald Trump. Celebrations erupted outside El Arepazo restaurant, a longtime gathering spot for the Venezuelan community, where people hugged, sang and waved flags as the sun came up. Chants of "Libertad" echoed through the area as crowds sang both the U.S. and Venezuelan national anthems, marking a moment many said they had waited decades to see.

Millions of people around the world, most of all in Venezuela, are celebrating the downfall of the dictator Nicolás Maduro. President Donald Trump’s decision to capture him on Saturday was one of the boldest moves a president has made in years, and the operation was an unquestionable tactical success. The next step is ensuring that this triumph sets Venezuela up for stability and prosperity rather than more of the same, or worse. What happened in Caracas was a clear reminder that America’s military, intelligence and cyber capabilities are second to none. More than 150 aircraft supported the Army’s Delta force...

Left-wing Hollywood celebrities wasted no time demanding the impeachment of President Donald Trump after he ordered the military operation the lead to the capture of Venezuela’s socialist dictator Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores, on what U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi called charges of Narco-Terrorism Conspiracy, Cocaine Importation Conspiracy, Possession of Machineguns and Destructive Devices, and Conspiracy to Possess Machineguns and Destructive Devices against the United States.”

Captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has arrived in the United States after being seized from his Caracas compound by US Army Delta Force soldiers. A white FBI Boeing 757 landed at Stewart Air National Guard Base in upstate New York after 4:30pm Saturday afternoon. Cops subsequently boarded the plane to take Maduro into custody. Hours earlier, footage emerged that is believed to show him being frog-marched onto a separate plane in Puerto Rico. That video is unverified and appears to show Maduro and his wife Cilia being taken onto a different plane. The pair are believed to have had one...

The United States will run the country of Venezuela until a replacement for dictator Nicolás Maduro can be found and sworn in, President Donald Trump announced at a press conference today. The Trump administration plans to send American oil companies down to take over the lucrative Venezuelan oil business, according to the president. And the U.S. military stands ready for a second and bigger attack on Venezuela should that be necessary, Trump promised. Maduro “will never again be able to” terrorize Americans, Trump promised. The captured dictator and his wife face charges in New York for their role in fueling...

The US strikes Venezuela, 'Maduro captured and flown out'. 'Large-scale strike', an extraordinary nighttime operation. Lens on Maduro's last interview before capture. 'To Americans, I've always said, Venezuela a brother nation'. Maduro - If they want oil, we're ready for US investment...Stunning American military operation. A nation's sitting leader plucked from office. Multiple explosions rang out in Caracas. Low-flying aircraft swept through Venezuela's capital city. The US attack lasted less than 30 minutes. At least 7 blasts sent people rushing into the streets. Venezuelan Govt: US hit civilian and military installations. Smoke seen rising from hangar of a military base...

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. This operation was done in conjunction with U.S. Law Enforcement. Details to follow. There will be a News Conference today at 11 A.M., at Mar-a-Lago. Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DONALD J. TRUMP

"President Donald Trump announced that the U.S. military carried out a "large-scale strike" in Venezuela early Saturday morning and took Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife into custody." -President Donald Trump announced that Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife have been captured and flown out of the country after the U.S. carried out a "large scale strike." Trump is expected to address the nation at 11 a.m. ET from Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Fla. -The U.S. military has carried out a series of strikes on suspected drug vessels allegedly tied to the Venezuelan regime in the Caribbean Sea...

President Donald Trump has just won a major victory in a war that has been waged against the United States for decades, without any significant response from the American side. Trump made the announcement at 4:21 a.m. EST on Saturday morning, Jan. 3, 2026: 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. This operation was done in conjunction with U.S. Law Enforcement. Details to follow. There will be a News Conference today at...

Russia is offering stark criticism of the U.S. military attack on Venezuela, which resulted in the capture of President Nicolas Maduro. In response, Russia called for a full meeting of the United Nations Security Council. “This morning, the United States carried out an act of armed aggression against Venezuela. This causes deep concern and condemnation,” Russia said in a statement from its Foreign Ministry. “The pretexts cited to justify such actions are unfounded. Ideologized hostility has prevailed over practical pragmatism and over a willingness to build relations based on trust and predictability,” Russian officials wrote, nearly five years into the...

Congratulations to the Trump administration on finally ending the Chavez-Maduro regime that has impoverished Venezuela and turned that country into a prison. So what happens next? Pam Bondi says Maduro will “will soon face the full wrath of American justice on American soil in American courts.” I hope the administration has thought this through carefully. As I understand it, Maduro was indicted several years ago in the Southern District of New York. I don’t know what rules govern venue in a case of this kind, nor do I know whether it is feasible to bring a new set of charges...

Iran, Colombia, Hezbollah, and Russia condemned the military operation performed by the United States in Venezuela on Saturday, where US special forces troops captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, while major US allies like Germany, Spain, and Italy said they were following the situation closely. Iran, an ally of Venezuela, said that the military attack on Venezuela was "a blatant violation of its national sovereignty and territorial integrity." Hezbollah stated that it "condemns the terrorist aggression and American thuggery against the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela" and "further affirms its full solidarity with Venezuela - its people, presidency, and...