Maduro Arrest Was Planned Months in Advance, U.S. Media

U.S. media reported that Washington had been planning a covert operation to detain Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro months before Saturday’s dramatic events in Caracas.

The United States began planning a covert operation to strike Venezuela and detain President Nicolás Maduro as early as mid-December last year, CNN reported, citing informed sources.

According to the report, the plan moved into an active phase after U.S. officials concluded that hopes for Maduro’s voluntary exit from power had collapsed.

Early Saturday, January 3, explosions were heard across Caracas as military aircraft flew at low altitude, while thick smoke rose from the area surrounding La Carlota air base, witnesses said.

Residents living near the Miraflores presidential palace began evacuating nearby buildings amid fears of further escalation and ground clashes.

U.S. President Donald Trump later said American forces had carried out a “large-scale, targeted operation” resulting in the arrest of Maduro.

CNN said the operation had been prepared in secrecy for months and was executed by U.S. special forces, marking one of the most dramatic American interventions in Latin America in decades.

Maduro has long been wanted by U.S. authorities, having been indicted in 2020 on charges including drug trafficking, weapons smuggling, and alleged cooperation with armed groups.

Trump said Maduro was being transferred to New York to face trial in federal court in Manhattan, adding that the Venezuelan leader and his wife, Cilia Flores, were aboard the USS Iwo Jima en route to the United States.

He also claimed to have watched the arrest unfold live from his Mar-a-Lago residence alongside senior military officials.

Trump confirmed that one U.S. helicopter was hit during the operation, injuring several American personnel, but said no U.S. fatalities had been reported.

While Washington said it is now weighing “next steps” for Venezuela’s future, Caracas rejected the U.S. account, insisting Maduro remains the country’s legitimate president and demanding his return.

The operation has sharply raised fears of regional instability, with analysts warning it could trigger prolonged unrest inside Venezuela and significantly alter geopolitical dynamics across Latin America.

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