- By Priyanka Koul
- Sat, 03 Jan 2026 10:20 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Hours after Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro was captured by US forces in a bold military operation, US President Donald Trump shared an image of the handcuffed and blindfolded leader on his Truth Social platform.
The 63-year-old South american leader, dressed in what appeared to be a tracksuit, was seen clutching a plastic water bottle in the photo.
The United States captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and flew him out of the country in a stunning military operation early on Saturday that removed a sitting leader from office, the culmination of months of escalating pressure from the Trump administration on the oil-rich South american nation.
Trump announced that the US would "run" Venezuela until a safe transition of power could occur. He also stated that american oil companies would be permitted to enter Venezuela to exploit its vast crude reserves following the US military operation to capture Maduro.
"This was one of the most stunning, effective and powerful displays of american might and competence in american history," Trump said at a press conference held at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, where he was joined by senior officials, including Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
He later remarked on Fox & Friends that while some US troops were injured during the strike, none were killed.
US-backed opposition leader María Corina Machado, who won the Nobel Peace Prize the previous year, celebrated the event on social media, declaring, "The hour of freedom has arrived."
She called for Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, the opposition's candidate in the 2024 election, to "immediately" assume the presidency. Earlier, Trump stated that Maduro and his wife would be brought to New York to face federal charges following the military strikes and operation, which he described as resembling a "television show."
Meanwhile, the Venezuelan government condemned what it called an "extremely serious military aggression" by Washington and declared a state of emergency.