Shortly before 11pm on Friday, Donald Trump ordered the US military to launch an operation in the dead of night to snatch the leader of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, from his compound in Caracas. Trump and his senior advisers watched the operation live from the president’s Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida. A photo released by Trump on social media showed Maduro aboard the warship, blindfolded and his hands bound in front of him. US warplanes pounced on Venezuelan air defence systems to allow helicopters and ground forces to approach Maduro’s compound. “Maduro and his wife, both indicted, gave up, and were taken into custody by the department of justice,” Caine said.

Source: The Irish Times January 05, 2026 04:48 UTC