In the early hours of Saturday, US President Donald Trump announced that US forces had carried out a “large-scale attack against Venezuela and its leader, President Nicolás Maduro.” Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores were arrested in a not exactly covert operation in which US ammunition fell on Caracas, the capital of Venezuela.
Trump’s announcement was followed by a statement from Attorney General Pam Bondi that Maduro “will soon face the full force of American justice on American soil in American courts.”
The basis is newly filed charges in connection with a “narco-terrorism conspiracy”.
Arrest with global consequences
The United States has not removed a foreign leader from power in such a direct manner in decades. Accordingly, concerns were immediately raised about the legality of such action against a sovereign state. Details of the operation and its justification remain unclear, but the action is expected to have significant implications for the region and the world. This is what is known so far.
Who is Nicolas Maduro?
Nicolás Maduro has been president of Venezuela since 2013, having previously served as vice president under Hugo Chávez. His tenure at the helm of the oil-rich country has been marked by economic collapse, human rights violations and illegitimate elections. The United States indicted him on corruption and narco-terrorism charges in 2020 during the first Trump administration. On Saturday, the second Trump administration made further charges after U.S. forces attacked Venezuela and arrested Maduro.
Controversial presidency
In 2025, Maduro began his third six-year term in office, despite credible evidence that he had clearly lost the 2024 election to opposition candidate Edmundo González. González was a replacement candidate for María Corina Machado, a popular opposition leader who had been barred from running against Maduro.
What exactly happened in Caracas?
After weeks of escalating military operations and deadly US airstrikes on smaller ships in the Caribbean that the Trump administration said were transporting drugs, the US attacked the Venezuelan capital on Saturday. A Delta Force unit was involved in the operation.
Military targets in sight
A spokesman for the Venezuelan government confirmed to several media outlets that at least four strategic targets had been hit by US airstrikes, including Fort Tiuna, the main military base in Caracas, and the port of La Guaira.
In an interview with Fox News on Sunday, Trump said he watched the attacks from his Mar-a-Lago residence. He spent the holidays there. The Venezuelan presidential couple were arrested in a “heavily guarded” complex. “It was actually like a fortress,” he said. The operation was originally scheduled to take place on Christmas, but was postponed due to bad weather.
Process of the arrest
CNN sources said Maduro and his wife were sleeping at the time of the arrest and were dragged from their bedroom by US special forces. Trump said the couple was taken by helicopter to the USS Iwo Jima, which will transport them to New York. The new charges against Maduro and Flores were filed there.
Were there any victims?
Trump told Fox News that there were “some injuries, but no deaths on our side.”
“I don’t think we had anyone killed. A few men were hit, but they came back and are said to be in pretty good shape,” he said. “We didn’t lose any aircraft. Everything came back. One of the helicopters was hit pretty hard, but we got it back.”
Unclear victim numbers
Venezuelan Attorney General Tarek William Saab said in a television appearance that “innocent victims were fatally wounded and others killed in this criminal terrorist attack.” However, he did not give any specific figures.
In a press conference on Saturday, Trump said the attack was “deadly.”
What charges are there against Maduro and Flores?
In 2020, Maduro was indicted along with more than a dozen other Venezuelan government officials for alleged involvement in a “corrupt and violent narco-terrorism conspiracy between the Venezuelan Cartel de los Soles and the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (FARC).”
Enhanced indictment
The charges against Maduro included narco-terrorism conspiracy, conspiracy to import cocaine, possession of machine guns and explosive devices, and related conspiracies. On Saturday, Bondi made public a supplementary indictment that also implicates the Venezuelan first lady.
Does the US have the authority to do this?
Maduro’s arrest immediately raised doubts about its compatibility with international law. Although other governments also want Maduro to be removed, direct military intervention to remove him from power by US soldiers appears to be a clear violation of Venezuela’s sovereignty.
Criticism from Congress
Several members of Congress said they were not informed of the operation in advance. In addition, the Trump administration did not obtain the constitutionally required approval of Congress for its now months-long military campaign against Venezuela.
Senator Andy Kim wrote that Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had assured the Senate that this was not about regime change. “I didn’t trust them then, and now we see that they blatantly lied to Congress,” Kim said.
International reactions
The United Nations said on Saturday that these developments “set a dangerous precedent, regardless of the situation in Venezuela.” The Secretary-General stressed the importance of full respect for international law and the UN Charter and was deeply concerned.
What does the Trump administration claim?
The US has not recognized Maduro’s government since 2019, when the first Trump administration supported opposition politician Juan Guaidó as the legitimate president.
Vindication of Washington
On this basis, the Trump administration argues that Maduro’s arrest does not constitute a violation of Venezuelan sovereignty because it is not a recognized government. Secretary Rubio re-shared an earlier post in which he wrote that Maduro is not the president of Venezuela and his regime is not legitimate.
The US government has been using allegations of narco-terrorism to justify its military actions for months, particularly in connection with the Tren de Aragua cartel. However, a 2025 report by the National Intelligence Council concluded that the Maduro regime was unlikely to have a policy of cooperation with this cartel.
Strategic direction
Regardless, the Trump administration is pursuing interventionist policies in America. According to the National Security Strategy 2025, she wants to re-enforce the Monroe Doctrine and ensure American dominance in the Western Hemisphere. Trump spoke of the “Don Roe Doctrine” on Saturday.
Who will take over in Venezuela?
That is unclear.
Trump did not want to explicitly support María Corina Machado on Fox News, even though she won the Nobel Peace Prize last year. He said his government would “run” Venezuela itself for the time being until a “safe, orderly and sensible transition” was possible. Large US oil companies are to be involved.
Uncertain future
The majority of Maduro’s inner circle of power remains in office. It is unclear whether the opposition can mobilize enough institutional support to completely dismantle the government and what role the US will play in this.