U.S. Captures Venezuela’s President in Stunning Overnight Operation, Leaving Venezuela’s Regime Reeling and the Country on Edge

Caracas woke up to war-footage sounds and a stunning political rupture: the U.S. struck targets around the capital and seized President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, in a pre-dawn raid, U.S. officials say—then extracted them out of the country to U.S. custody.

What changed fast wasn’t just who holds the microphone. It’s the chain of command. U.S. officials described a months-long plan that culminated overnight: airstrikes against Venezuelan military targets, then Special Forces pushing into Caracas to reach a fortified safe house. One helicopter was hit during inbound fire, and the raiding team came prepared to cut through steel doors. Maduro and Flores surrendered inside the residence, according to the U.S. military’s account relayed by Reuters.

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By daylight, the crisis snapped into the open. President Donald Trump said Maduro was captured and that Washington intends to “run the country” until an “orderly” transition—while Venezuela’s Vice President Delcy Rodríguez went on state television calling it a kidnapping and demanding their immediate release. A U.S. official said Maduro is expected to appear in Manhattan federal court on Monday.

Rodríguez also demanded “proof of life” for Maduro and Flores in an audio message aired on Venezuelan state TV, as senior figures in the regime’s orbit jockeyed for position and control.

Timeline: How the Night Unfolded (Local Venezuela Time Approximation)
Late Friday night: U.S. officials said the final go-ahead came late in the evening (given in U.S. Eastern Time), followed by aircraft launching from multiple bases as the broader strike package moved toward targets near and inside Caracas.

Pre-dawn hours: Explosions and heavy activity hit parts of the capital region as the strike phase unfolded; Reuters reported power was knocked out in part of Caracas during the operation.

Around the raid window: U.S. officials say Special Forces entered Caracas and reached the safe house under fire; Maduro and Flores surrendered inside.

Extraction: U.S. officials said helicopters departed Venezuelan territory with the couple onboard after additional “self-defense engagements,” later showing Maduro in U.S. custody.

Daylight: Trump publicly framed the operation as a transition mission, while Rodríguez and other senior Venezuelan officials signaled defiance and claimed continuity of state authority inside the country.

What’s Happening on the Ground Right Now
Inside Venezuela, the immediate picture is tense but uneven: security forces remain present, institutions have not publicly “flipped,” and it is not yet clear who is issuing operational orders across the military and internal security apparatus. The risk is a fast-moving power vacuum—either a hardline consolidation by loyalists or a fracture among elites competing for control.

The shock also hit practical infrastructure. U.S. flight regulators shut airspace to U.S. carriers in parts of the Caribbean tied to “ongoing military activity,” triggering widespread cancellations, while commercial traffic over Venezuelan airspace appeared to halt, per Reuters.

Oil, Money, and the Pressure Points
Venezuela’s oil exports—already squeezed—were reported “paralyzed” as port captains had not authorized departures for loaded ships, with Trump describing an oil embargo as in effect. Analysts warned that storage limits could force production cuts, including complications for flows involving PDVSA and Chevron.

Why this matters: Venezuela’s oil isn’t just revenue; it’s leverage. If exports stay frozen, the regime’s remaining cash channels tighten immediately—while any external “transition authority” still lacks clear, enforceable control inside the country.

This is already detonating at the U.N. The Security Council is set to meet Monday at Colombia’s request (backed by Russia and China), and U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres warned the action sets a “dangerous precedent,” underscoring the stakes for sovereignty and the use of force.

The next 48–72 hours hinge on three moving parts: (1) who commands Venezuela’s armed forces and intelligence services in practice, (2) whether mass street mobilization breaks out—either in celebration or in pro-regime rage—and (3) what the U.S. actually means by “running” Venezuela without a declared occupation structure. Meanwhile, Maduro’s expected court appearance in New York will shift the story from battlefield to courtroom, with the entire region watching for whether this becomes a short, surgical decapitation—or the start of a long, messy struggle for Venezuela’s state machinery.