Following an event on a specific date, President Trump authorized a military incursion into the South American nation to apprehend its leader and transport him to the United States, where the administration intended to bring him to justice.
In a Saturday morning interview on “& Friends Weekend,” Trump detailed the overnight operation, stating that Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were subsequently transported by helicopter to a U.S. warship. Later that day, Trump and other officials provided further information during a press briefing at his Florida home.
Maduro was in a ‘fortress,’ Trump says
Trump characterized Maduro as being “heavily guarded” within a presidential palace that was “like a fortress.” He informed reporters that Maduro had almost reached a safe room inside but “was unable to secure it.”
Trump had stated earlier that American troops carried “large blowtorches” to cut through steel walls if Maduro had managed to barricade himself inside the room.
“It had what they refer to as a safety space, which is surrounded by solid steel,” Trump said. “He failed to close that space. He was attempting to enter it, but our team moved in so rapidly that he was prevented from doing so. We were ready for that scenario.”
US military prepared for months
Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, reported that U.S. forces had practiced their maneuvers for several months, gathering extensive intelligence on Maduro—including his whereabouts, diet, and specifics about his pets and attire.
“We plan, we develop, we train, we rehearse, we debrief, and we rehearse repeatedly,” Caine stated, noting that his forces were fully prepared by early December. “The goal is not merely to get it right, but to guarantee we cannot get it wrong.”
Trump had mentioned previously that U.S. forces conducted extraction drills on a replica of the building.
“They constructed an identical replica of the house they entered, complete with all the same steel features,” Trump said.
‘We turned off all the lights’
Trump noted that the U.S. operation was conducted under the cover of darkness, though he did not elaborate on the method. He claimed the U.S. disabled “nearly all of the lights in Caracas,” Venezuela’s capital. At the press conference, he attributed the city’s blackout to “a specific expertise that we possess.”
“The operation was extremely well-organized,” he said. “Our forces entered a darkened area with machine guns aimed at them from all directions.”
Residents of Caracas reported hearing at least seven explosions. The assault, which Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth called part of a “large-scale joint military and law enforcement raid,” was completed in under 30 minutes.
Venezuela’s vice president, Delcy Rodríguez, who assumes power according to law, reported casualties among Venezuelan civilians and military personnel.
Trump says ‘a couple of guys injured’
Trump acknowledged that several U.S. operatives sustained injuries but expressed his belief that there were no fatalities.
“A few individuals were hit, but they returned and are expected to recover well,” he said.
The Republican president confirmed that no U.S. aircraft were lost, but mentioned one helicopter was “significantly damaged.”
“We had no choice because it is a war,” he added.
During his news conference, Trump omitted references to the injuries or helicopter damage, emphasizing instead that no American lives were lost. Caine confirmed that the damaged helicopter managed to return safely.
The weather was a factor
Trump explained that U.S. forces delayed the operation for several days, awaiting clear weather because conditions “had to be ideal.”
“We waited for four days,” he stated. “We planned to execute this mission four days ago, then three days ago, then two days ago. Suddenly, the weather cleared and we gave the order to proceed. It was truly remarkable.”
Caine said that on Friday night, “the weather improved sufficiently, opening a path that only the world’s most expert pilots could navigate.” He explained that helicopters flew at low altitude over water to enter Venezuela, with protective U.S. aircraft providing cover from above.
Operation ‘Absolute Resolve,’ by the numbers
Caine provided specifics on the aircraft and personnel involved in the mission, codenamed “Absolute Resolve”:
—Over 150 aircraft were deployed from locations across the Western Hemisphere, including F-18, F-22, and F-35 fighter jets, B-1 bombers, and drones.
—Trump authorized the mission at 10:46 p.m. EST on Friday.
—U.S. forces arrived at Maduro’s compound at 1:01 a.m. EST on Saturday and had returned to international waters by 3:29 a.m. EST.
—The U.S. service members who participated were between the ages of 20 and 49.
Where is Maduro now?
Trump stated that Maduro and Flores were airlifted to a U.S. warship and would be transported to New York to face legal charges. He later shared a photo on Truth Social depicting the Venezuelan leader wearing a gray sweatsuit, protective headphones, and a blindfold. The image was captioned: “Nicolas Maduro on board the USS Iwo Jima.”
The Justice Department unsealed an indictment alleging the couple’s involvement in a narco-terrorism conspiracy.
Months of escalating actions
The raid marked a significant intensification of a campaign of strikes, which Trump stated targeted drug-carrying vessels in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific Ocean since early September. There were 35 documented strikes resulting in at least 115 fatalities.
On Dec. 29, Trump announced a U.S. strike on a facility used by boats alleged to carry drugs for “loading up.” The CIA was involved in an operation at a docking area suspected of being used by Venezuelan drug cartels. This was the first acknowledged direct action on Venezuelan territory since the strikes commenced in September.