In a dramatic military operation on January 3, 2026, U.S. forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, during a raid in Caracas, transporting them to New York to face serious criminal charges including drug trafficking and narco-terrorism.
President Donald Trump declared that the U.S. would take control of Venezuela, eyeing its rich oil reserves and promising to revitalize the country’s beleaguered oil industry, which has struggled under years of mismanagement and sanctions.
The operation ignited significant international backlash, raising urgent questions about U.S. intervention in Venezuela's sovereignty and the legality of the military action, with various global leaders expressing concerns over potential imperialistic motives.
Amidst the upheaval, Maduro’s vice president, Delcy Rodríguez, stepped in to lead the regime while pro-Maduro militias increased their presence, vowing to quell dissent and solidify support for the government despite the external pressures from the U.S.
While Trump’s plans for Venezuela stirred hope in American oil markets, experts remained skeptical about their feasibility and the potential outcomes, warning of unrealistic expectations and the complexities of rebuilding a war-torn nation.
The episode underscored a volatile shift in U.S. foreign policy, evoking parallels to historic interventions in Latin America, as the world watched closely to see how this dramatic power shift would affect both Venezuela and the broader geopolitical landscape.
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