FLORIDA — The United States captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and flew him out of the country in an extraordinary nighttime operation that was accompanied by a flurry of strikes following months of escalating Trump administration pressure on the oil-rich South American nation.
It was not immediately clear who was running the country, and Maduro’s whereabouts were not immediately known. Trump announced the developments on Truth Social shortly after 4:30 a.m. ET. Under Venezuelan law the vice president, Delcy Rodríguez, would take power. There was no confirmation that had happened, though she did issue a statement after the strike.
“We do not know the whereabouts of President Nicolás Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores,” Rodriguez said. “We demand proof of life.”
The White House did not immediately respond to queries on where Maduro and his wife were being flown to. Maduro was indicted in March 2020 on “narco-terrorism” conspiracy charges in the Southern District of New York.
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said Maduro was indicted in the Southern District of New York on 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.” Flores also has been indicted, Bondi said.
Maduro last appeared on state television Friday while meeting with a delegation of Chinese officials in Caracas.
For months, Trump had threatened that he could soon order strikes on targets on Venezuelan land following months of attacks on boats accused of carrying drugs. Maduro has decried the U.S. military operations as a thinly veiled effort to oust him from power.
Florida Republicans, Democrats react
Florida Republicans praised President Donald Trump on Saturday for what Trump said was a “large-scale strike” on Venezuela leading to the capture of its president.
Florida GOP:
Thank you President @RealDonaldTrump for taking action to protect the safety of U.S. citizens by eliminating the dangerous narco-terrorist Maduro regime in Venezuela! We salute the bravery of our U.S. forces who executed this mission with courage. https://t.co/CvOrxvu2NI
— Florida GOP (@FloridaGOP) January 3, 2026
Speaker of the House Daniel Perez:
Today, President @RealDonaldTrump took decisive action to bring peace & security to our hemisphere & strike a major blow against drug cartels who profit off the death & destruction of American lives. I’m thankful to all the US personnel for their bravery & dedication to freedom. https://t.co/GxCO1Q0GJg
— Daniel Perez (@Daniel_PerezFL) January 3, 2026
State Sen. Danny Burgess:
God Bless our incredible military for a successful mission. Grateful for their bravery and professionalism – and grateful for President @realDonaldTrump for his courage to act decisively, time and time again. The people of Venezuela have a long road ahead, but it is one filled…
— Danny Burgess (@DannyBurgessFL) January 3, 2026
Rep. Jimmy Patronis:
Today’s successful capture of narco-terrorist Nicolás Maduro is a victory for freedom and the rule of law. Thank you to @POTUS, @SecRubio, @SecWar, and the brave members of our military who made this operation possible. President Trump’s leadership has made America and our allies… pic.twitter.com/0Rb8clBAdk
— Jimmy Patronis Press Office (@PatronisFL) January 3, 2026
Attorney General James Uthmeier:
God bless the brave US military and law enforcement who carried out this operation, and thank you, President Trump, for your decisive leadership. https://t.co/HDzcrmx8BI
— Attorney General James Uthmeier (@AGJamesUthmeier) January 3, 2026
Rep. John Rutherford:
Thank you to our brave military servicemembers who conducted the successful mission to capture narco-terrorists Nicolas Maduro and his wife.
They will finally face the full wrath of American justice on American soil in American courts. We are all safer because of President…
— Rep. John Rutherford (@RepRutherfordFL) January 3, 2026
Democratic lawmakers argued the strikes were not warranted, and that Trump lacked the authority to order them because he did not receive Congress’ approval.
Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried:
“My hope is that this moment opens a real path to democracy for the Venezuelan people, who deserve the chance to seat their true, democratically elected president, Edmundo González.” said @NikkiFried
“However, Congress and the American people were entirely bypassed. Acting… pic.twitter.com/dnyvrvQKJW
— Florida Democrats (@FlaDems) January 3, 2026
Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz:
The capture of the brutal, illegitimate ruler of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, who oppressed Venezuela’s people is welcome news for my friends and neighbors who fled his violent, lawless, and disastrous rule.
However, cutting off the head of a snake is fruitless if it just regrows.…
— Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (@RepDWStweets) January 3, 2026
Rep. Darren Soto:
Capturing the murderous Dictator Maduro is a major step towards a #VenezuelaLibre. Now there must be concerted efforts to ensure the democratically elected Edmundo Gonzalez is seated as the rightful new president.
Trump’s failure to seek Congressional approval for these strikes… https://t.co/rIjcCCSGbH
— Rep. Darren Soto (@RepDarrenSoto) January 3, 2026
President Donald Trump provided an update on the operation at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach on Saturday, where he stated that the U.S. government would run the country at least temporarily and would tap Venezuelan’s vast oil reserves to sell “large amounts” to other countries.
Watch the full news conference in the video player above.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Spectrum News Staff, Associated Press
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