It may have been Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s public performances on state television — dancing to electronic music while mocking American threats — that convinced the Trump administration to authorize a military operation that captured him early Saturday, according to two officials familiar with confidential discussions.
After rejecting a US ultimatum in late December to accept exile in Turkey, Maduro appeared on Venezuelan television dancing to an electronic beat while a recorded voice repeated in English, “No crazy war.” The New York Times reported that these performances persuaded some Trump administration members that the Venezuelan leader was mocking them and calling what he believed was a bluff.
“It was one dance move too many,” the Times reported, citing the two officials who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Days later, Delta Force commandos seized Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, from the presidential compound in a pre-dawn raid. The couple now face federal charges in New York related to drug trafficking and weapons possession.
Pattern of Provocation
The Trump administration had issued multiple threats and conducted escalating military actions against Venezuela for months. In late December, US forces struck a Venezuelan dock, which Washington said was used for drug trafficking.
Maduro responded by appearing onstage again, brushing off the escalation with another dancing performance. Officials interpreted these televised appearances as deliberate acts of defiance designed to test whether Trump would follow through on his threats.
President Donald Trump announced the capture early Saturday on Truth Social, stating forces had “successfully carried out a large scale strike against Venezuela.” He later told reporters at Mar-a-Lago the United States would “run” Venezuela temporarily until a formal government transition occurs.
Trump said US oil companies would invest billions to rebuild Venezuela’s oil infrastructure and that America would sell “large amounts of oil to other countries.” He claimed Venezuela had “stolen” American oil investments and that the United States would extract “a tremendous amount of wealth” as reimbursement for damages.
Read: Trump wants “oil rights back” from Venezuela as navy blockades loom
Venezuela holds the world’s largest proven oil reserves at approximately 303 billion barrels.
The Military Operation
The raid, codenamed Absolute Resolve, began when helicopters carrying the extraction team flew into Caracas at 100 feet above water while US aircraft disabled Venezuelan air defense systems, according to military briefings. Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Trump authorized the mission at 10:46 p.m. Eastern time on January 2.
American forces arrived at Maduro’s compound at 1:01 a.m. Eastern time. The extraction took less than 30 minutes, though explosions shook multiple military installations, including Fort Tiuna and La Carlota Air Base.
One US aircraft sustained damage but remained operational. Several American troops suffered bullet and shrapnel wounds, CNN reported, citing sources familiar with the operation. No US deaths occurred.
At least 40 people, including civilians and soldiers, were killed in the attack, citing a senior Venezuelan official who spoke anonymously. The Times later reported that the number had risen to 80 civilians and security forces killed, according to another senior Venezuelan official.
Venezuelan and Cuban officials claim more than 80 people died in the assault, including 32 Cuban military and intelligence members, according to multiple reports. Strikes hit a civilian apartment complex in Catia La Mar, killing one person and seriously injuring another. The United States has not confirmed casualty figures.
Escalating Military Pressure
The operation culminated months of escalating US military action. Since September, American forces conducted dozens of strikes on vessels accused of drug trafficking in Caribbean waters, killing at least 115 people.
The Justice Department first indicted Maduro in 2020 on narco-terrorism charges. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced updated charges on Saturday, including conspiracy to import cocaine and weapons-related offenses.
Aftermath and Reactions
US forces transferred Maduro and Flores to the amphibious warship USS Iwo Jima, then flew them to Naval Station Guantanamo Bay before arriving at Stewart Air National Guard Base in New York late Saturday. Maduro walked off the aircraft surrounded by federal agents.
He arrived at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn and faces a court appearance scheduled for January 5.
Vice President Delcy Rodríguez, who assumed presidential duties under Venezuelan law, denounced the operation as “kidnapping” and demanded proof of life for the captured couple. However, Trump indicated Rodríguez had expressed willingness to cooperate with Washington.
China called on the United States to release Maduro immediately and “cease its efforts to subvert the Venezuelan regime.” Beijing’s foreign ministry condemned what it called a “blatant use of force against a sovereign state.”
Venezuelan migrants celebrated the capture in Miami, New York, and Latin American cities. Protests opposing the operation also occurred in multiple American cities.
Trump told reporters the United States plans to maintain a military presence in Venezuela and “run” the country’s governance until establishing what he termed a “safe, proper and judicious transition.” He offered no timeline for ending American involvement.
Speaking at Mar-a-Lago, Trump said Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth would help run Venezuela. He indicated American oil companies would have military protection as they move into the country.
“We’re going to have our very large United States oil companies, the biggest anywhere in the world, go in, spend billions of dollars, fix the badly broken infrastructure,” Trump said. He added the United States was “ready to stage a second and much larger attack if we need to do so.”
Trump claimed Venezuela’s socialist government had stolen American oil investments, calling it “one of the largest thefts of American property in the history of our country.” The oil embargo on Venezuela remains in effect, he said.
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