- US forces capture Maduro in Caracas Saturday.
- Republicans celebrate 2020 narco-trafficking indictment enforcement.
- Administration officials hail the bold operation.
Maduro and his spouse, Cilia Flores, have been charged in the southern district of New York with narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy, possession of machine guns and destructive devices, and conspiracy to possess machine guns and destructive devices against the United States, according to a statement made by US Attorney General Pam Bondi on X.
The US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, issued a statement:
“Maduro is NOT the President of Venezuela and his regime is not the legitimate government. Maduro is the head of the Cartel de Los Soles, a narco-terror organization that has taken control of the country. And he is under indictment for pushing drugs into the United States.”
When it comes to Cartel de los Soles, many experts are dubious about the narco-terror classification. When it comes to cartels, Venezuela is very different from Mexico.
The US vice-president, JD Vance, said in a statement:
“The president offered multiple off ramps, but was very clear throughout this process: the drug trafficking must stop, and the stolen oil must be returned to the United States. Maduro is the newest person to find out that President Trump means what he says. Kudos to our brave special operators who pulled off a truly impressive operation.”
However, the administration was condemned by Democrats for turning what had been an anti-drug trafficking campaign in the eastern Pacific and Caribbean, which included attacks on suspected drug boats, into a regime-change initiative.
Trump, according to Kim, has rejected a "constitutionally required approval process for armed conflict because the Administration knows the American people overwhelmingly reject risks pulling our nation into another war."
The nocturnal attack in Venezuela "doesn't represent strength," according to Kim, a former Obama administration State Department employee. It's not a wise foreign policy. In addition to endangering Americans in Venezuela and the surrounding area, it sends a terrible and unsettling message to other influential leaders across the world that the US government may legitimately target a head of state.
Additionally, he said that the strikes
"will further damage our reputation already hurt by Trump's policies around the world and only isolate us at a time."
The US raids against military installations in Caracas, La Guaira, Aragua, and Miranda "stand out as the largest US military operation in Latin America since the 1989 invasion of Panama," according to Tiziano Breda, a Latin American analyst for the international conflict monitor ACLED.
“The timing is not a coincidence – it appears to be aimed at undercutting the anniversary of Maduro’s most recent term in office,”
Breda said via email, warning that what happens next hinges on the response of Venezuela’s government and armed forces.
“So far, they’ve avoided direct confrontation with US forces, but deployments on the streets point to efforts to contain unrest. A smooth transition remains unlikely, and the risk of resistance from pro-regime armed groups – including elements within the military and Colombian rebel networks active in the country – remains high.”
What did EU leaders say about the US operation in Venezuela?
President Trump, Secretary Rubio, and GOP leaders celebrated the Delta Force raid as a decisive blow against Maduro's alleged Tren de Aragua ties and medicine conspiracies, participating images of Maduro and Cilia Flores aboard the USS Iwo Jima headed for New York trial. They framed it as fulfilling long- delayed justice without broader occupation plans.
House Egalitarians and numbers like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio- Cortez reprobated the unilateral strikes lacking congressional blessing as a violation of tone- determination principles, risking mercenary casualties in Caracas and Latin American counterreaction akin to once interventions. Critics questioned intelligence linking Maduro directly to trafficking.
The operation, targeting spots like Fort Tiuna and La Carlota airbase, urged Maduro abettors ' exigency affirmations before his seizure, with no verified U.S. casualties reported amid concentrated global echoes.