U.S. President Donald Trump has confirmed that Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro and his wife were flown first to the U.S. Navy’s Wasp class amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima following their capture overnight. TWZ had highlighted the high likelihood that the Iwo Jima had played a central role in last night’s operation in our initial reporting, where readers can otherwise first get up to speed on the details that are known so far.
See all the latest updates at the bottom of the post.
Trump shared new details about the operation while speaking by phone earlier this morning with Fox News.
“Yes, the Iwo Jima,” Trump said when asked if Maduro and his wife had been taken first to a ship. “They’re on a ship, and they’ll be heading into New York.”
As TWZ previously wrote:
“With what appears to be a very large contingent of 160th SOAR [the U.S. Army’s 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment] helicopters spearheading this operation, it seems likely that the USS Iwo Jima would be used to support them, especially as much of this ship’s air wing has been moved ashore. The special operations mothership M/V Ocean Trader is also a critical part of this effort as it has been in the region for months and sailing with the Iwo Jima, but its ability to support many helicopters is much more limited than an amphibious assault ship.”
“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 all around,” according to Trump. “He was trying to get into it, but he got bum rushed so fast that he didn’t.”
Trump noted that U.S. forces had “blowtorches” and other equipment they were prepared to use if Maduro had been able to make it into that secure space. It has previously been reported that members of the U.S. Army’s Delta Force were in the lead on the ground.
“I think we had nobody killed … [but] a couple of guys were hit” and a helicopter was hit “pretty hard,” Trump added, but did not elaborate. Details about casualties on either side of the operation remain limited.
“I’ve never seen anything like this. I was able to watch it in real time, and I watched every aspect of it.” Trump also told Fox News. “We were prepared to do a second wave. We were all set — and this was so lethal, this was so powerful, that we didn’t have to.”
Other details about the full U.S. force package involved in the operation in Venezuela are still emerging. This includes a picture now circulating online showing a new addition to U.S. forces in Puerto Rico, U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptors. The U.S. military has been building up a large array of air, naval, and ground assets in the region for months now, which TWZ has been tracking closely.
Members of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) also took part in the operation, and other law enforcement agencies may have participated, as well.
ABC News had separately reported that the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) had been able to pinpoint Maduro’s exact location prior to his capture, citing individuals familiar with the operation, but did not elaborate on where that intelligence came from. The New York Times and CBS News have reported that a source inside the Venezuelan government was a key source of information for the CIA.
The Venezuelan leader and his wife were still asleep at the time and were literally dragged from their bed, according to CNN, citing additional anonymous sources.
Citing anonymous U.S. officials, CBS News had also reported that American authorities had discussed launching the operation on Christmas Day, but that plans for separate strikes targeting ISIS’ franchise in Nigeria led to it being postponed. Poor or at least suboptimal weather then led to it being pushed back further.
“Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, have been indicted in the Southern District of New York,” U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi had also written earlier in a post on X. “Nicolas Maduro has been charged with Narco-Terrorism Conspiracy, Cocaine Importation Conspiracy, Possession of Machineguns and Destructive Devices, and Conspiracy to Possess Machineguns and Destructive Devices against the United States.”
Questions have been raised about the legality of the operation to capture Maduro and his wife. There is something of a past precedent in America’s intervention in Panama between December 1989 and January 1990, also known as Operation Just Cause, which ostensibly centered on the arrest of then de facto leader Gen. Manuel Noriega on drug trafficking charges. Noriega surrendered to American forces on January 3, 1990, 36 years ago to the day. Noriega was tried and convicted in the United States, where he was subsequently imprisoned. He was later extradited to France and then back to Panama, where he ultimately died under house arrest in 2017.
“The president [Trump] offered multiple off ramps, but was very clear throughout this process: the drug trafficking must stop, and the stolen oil must be returned to the United States. Maduro is the newest person to find out that President Trump means what he says,” Vice President J.D. Vance wrote on X earlier this morning. “And PSA for everyone saying this was “illegal”: Maduro has multiple indictments in the United States for narcoterrorism. You don’t get to avoid justice for drug trafficking in the United States because you live in a palace in Caracas.”
“This action likely falls within the president’s inherent authority under Article II of the Constitution to protect U.S. personnel from an actual or imminent attack,” Sen. Mike Lee, a Utah Republican, had also written on X after speaking with Secretary of State and acting National Security Advisor Marco Rubio about the overnight operation. “He [Rubio] anticipates no further action in Venezuela now that Maduro is in U.S. custody.”
In the meantime, the country’s Foreign Minister, Yvan Gil, has insisted that Maduro officially remains president and has called for his immediate return from U.S. custody, in an interview today with Telesur. The Venezuelan government has otherwise condemned the U.S. operation.
Delcy Eloína Rodríguez Gómez, currently vice president of Venezuela, would technically be next in line to take over for Maduro, even if it were to be in an acting capacity. However, there are reports that she may not presently be in the country to immediately assume that role.
At least two other key figures in Maduro’s regime, Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez and Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello Rondon, have also appeared publicly in the wake of last night’s operation. It’s interesting to note here that Padrino and Cabello are also under indictment in the United States on charges related to drug trafficking.
“We’re making that decision now,” President Trump had said during his interview with Fox News when asked about what might happen next, leadership-wise, in Venezuela. “We can’t take a chance on letting somebody else run it and just take over where he [Maduro] left off.”
Trump also claimed that Maduro had been close to being convinced to voluntarily “surrender.” There had been reports that Maduro’s capture was part of a preplanned arrangement with the United States, but there are no indications currently that this was the case.
President Trump is still scheduled to speak later today about last night’s operation, where more details are expected to be announced. In the meantime, the situation in Venezuela continues to be very fluid.
Update 1:16 PM EST:
Speaking to reporters at his Mar-a-Lago estate, Trump and his cabinet provided new details about the mission to capture Maduro that was dubbed Operation Absolute Resolve.
Trump said the U.S. will “stay” in Venezuela and run the country for an unspecified amount of time.
“We’re going to run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition. So we don’t want to be involved with having somebody else get in and we have the same situation that we had for the last long period of years,” he said. “So we are going to run the country until such time is we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition, and it has to be judicious, because that’s what we’re all about. We want peace, liberty and justice for the great people of Venezuela, and that includes many from Venezuela that are now living in the United States and want to go back to their countries, their homeland.”
“We’re talking to people,” Trump said. “We’re designating various people. Those people would run Venezuela. It’s largely going to be for a period of time, the people that are standing right behind me, we’re going to be running it. We’re going to be bringing it back.”
Trump was referring to War Secretary Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Joint Chiefs Chairman Air Force Gen. Dan Caine and Homeland Security advisor Stephen Miller.
Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez was sworn in to take Maduro’s place, Trump added.
“But she was, as you know, picked by Maduro,” Trump noted. “So Marco is working on that directly. Just had a conversation with her, and she’s essentially willing to do what we think is necessary to make Venezuela Great Again, very simple.”
The president added that the U.S. will rebuild Venezuela’s oil infrastructure.
“The infrastructure is rotted. It’s actually very dangerous. It’s a blow-up territory,” Trump explained. “Oil is very dangerous. It’s a very dangerous thing to take out of the ground. Can kill a lot of people. It has killed a lot of people doing just that. The infrastructure is old. It’s rotted. Much of it is stuff that we put there 25 years ago, and we’re going to be replacing it, and we’re going to take a lot of money out so that we can take care of the country.”
Caine laid out how the five-hour mission to capture Maduro took place. The mission was months in planning.
Trump ordered the operation to unfold at 10:46 p.m. Eastern time.
“This was an audacious operation that only the United States could do,” Caine said. “It required the utmost of precision and integration within our joint force. And the word integration does not explain the sheer complexity of such a mission, an extraction so precise it involved more than 150 aircraft launching across the western hemisphere in close coordination, all coming together in time and place to layer effects for a single purpose, to get an interdiction force into downtown Caracas while maintaining the element of tactical surprise.”
“Aircraft began launching from 20 different bases on land and sea across the western hemisphere,” Caine explained. “In total, more than 150 aircraft, bombers, fighters, intelligence, reconnaissance, surveillance, rotary wing were in the air last night. Thousands and thousands of hours of experience were airborne.”
“As the night began, the helicopters took off with the extraction force, which included law enforcement officers, and began their flight into Venezuela at 100 feet above the water. As they approach Venezuelan shores, the United States began layering different effects provided by SPACECOM, CYBERCOM and other members of the interagency to create a pathway overhead. Those forces were protected by aircraft from the United States Marines, the United States Navy, the United States Air Force, and the Air National Guard. The force included F-22s, F-35s, F-18s, EA-18s, E-2s and B-1 bombers and other support aircraft, as well as numerous remotely piloted drones.”
“As the Force began to approach Caracas, the joint Air Component began dismantling and disabling the air defense systems in Venezuela, employing weapons to ensure the safe passage of the helicopters into the target area,” Caine pointed out. “The goal of our air component is, was, and always will be to protect the helicopters and the ground force and get them to the target and get them home. As the force crossed the last point of high terrain where they’ve been hiding in the clutter, we assessed that we had maintained totally the element of surprise. As the helicopter force ingress towards the objective at low level, we arrived at Maduro’s compound at 1:01 am Eastern Standard Time or 2:01 am Caracas time.”
“The apprehension force descended into Maduro’s compound and moved with speed, precision and discipline towards their objective and isolated the area to ensure the safety and security of the ground force while apprehending the indicted persons. On arrival into the target area, the helicopters came under fire, and they replied with that fire with overwhelming force and self-defense. One of our aircraft was hit, but remained flyable, and as the President said earlier today, all of our aircraft came home, and that aircraft remained pliable during the rest of the mission.”
“As the operation unfolded at the compound, our air and ground intelligence teams provided real-time updates to the ground force, ensuring those forces could safely navigate the complex environment without unnecessary risk, the force remained protected by overhead tactical aviation,” according to Caine. “Maduro and his wife, both indicted, gave up and were taken into custody by the Department of Justice, assisted by our incredible U.S. military with professionalism and precision with no loss of U.S. life. After securing the indicted persons, the force began to prep for departure. Helicopters were called in to exfiltrate the extraction force, while fighter aircraft and remotely piloted aircraft provided overhead coverage and suppressive fire. There were multiple self-defense engagements as the Force began to withdraw out of Venezuela. The force successfully exfiltrated and returned to their afloat launch bases, and the force was over the water at 3:29 am, Eastern Standard Time, with indicted persons on board and both Maduro and his wife were embarked aboard the USS Iwo Jima.”
Maduro and his wife attempted to flee to a safe room before being captured, Trump stated.
“It could have happened,” Trump said when asked if the troops were prepared to kill Maduro if he resisted. “He was trying to get into a safe place … the safe place’s all steel, and he wasn’t able to make it to the door because our guys were so fast. They went through the opposition so fast. It was a lot of opposition, you know … There was a lot of gunfire. You saw some of it today. But he was trying to get to a safe place.”
As for other potential ‘targets’ in the region, Cuba was discussed openly during the presser. Secretary of State Rubio put Cuba’s leadership on notice, stating “Cuba is a familiar nation. It’s very similar … If I lived in Havana and I was in the government, I’d be concerned.”
Update: 2:40 pm EST—
Maduro may have left Guantanamo Bay on a flight to the U.S. aboard one of the Department of Justice’s 757s, which often use the callsign JENA and move prisoners around.
President Macron of France seemed elated about the ousting of Maduro in a tweet and showed support for a future, more friendly Venezuela.
An exact replica of Maduro’s compound was built for Delta Force to practice over a number of months, according to Reuters, which writes:
“Elite U.S. troops, including the Army’s Delta Force, created an exact replica of Maduro’s safe house and practiced how they would enter the strongly fortified residence.”
This fits with the Bin Laden/Operation Neptune Spear model, which also relied on an intricate replica of the target to train on. SEALs that were on that mission, the most elite in the Navy, said it was the first time they have ever used such a replica in preparing for a mission.
It appears a C-17 is heading out of Puerto Rico with wounded soldiers.
And it looks like the newly sworn in president of Venezuela is putting out a defiant message that is in contrast to what the Trump administration would like.
The White House has released photos of a curtained-off area where the president and his cabinet supposedly monitored the operation:
Apparently, they were monitoring X OSINT accounts on the big screen.
We are now seeing better footage of bomb damage on target areas around Caracas.
Update: 4:11 pm EST—
The question of what comes next politically for Venezuela is a glaring one. The answer to this question appears to remain opaque even to the Trump administration. The hope seems to be that the current power structure, sans Maduro, would acquiesce to the U.S., but that’s a big leap at this time, especially considering Trump’s comments on the country’s oil reserves. There are many factions in Venezuela that could and likely would attempt to gain power, which could lead to significant instability. There is also the cartel and its influence. How exactly the Trump administration plans to exert its will on Venezuela politically from afar isn’t clear. What plan exists for this contingency will hopefully become clearer in the coming hours and days, but the risk of major upheaval in Venezuela remains very high based on the information at hand, which is very limited. And this is all the problem with regime change and/or taking out a dictator, you don’t know if what follows will be worse than what came before or how much investment in time, blood, and treasure will be needed to ensure an acceptable outcome.
The UK is now chiming in, as well, with PM Keir Starmer stating on X:
“The UK has long supported a transition of power in Venezuela. We regarded Maduro as an illegitimate President and we shed no tears about the end of his regime. I reiterated my support for international law this morning. The UK government will discuss the evolving situation with US counterparts in the days ahead as we seek a safe and peaceful transition to a legitimate government that reflects the will of the Venezuelan people.”
Update: 6:25 pm EST—
Read about how the RQ-170 Sentinel participated in the operation in our new post here.
Maduro has touched down in New York State:
Update: 7:15 pm EST—
We have satellite imagery of the destruction seen at the sprawling military base with some very unique features that Maduro was supposedly snatched from. Check it out here.
Contact the author: joe@twz.com