After apparent months of planning, the US strike that resulted in the arrest of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro unfolded swiftly over the weekend, with American forces converging on Caracas to arrest Maduro and his wife.
In subsequent days, Maduro would be spirited from a US warship to a plane and ultimately a downtown Manhattan courthouse, where he would enter a not guilty plea on narco-terrorism charges.
US President Donald Trump and US military leaders gave details of the operation, and Venezuelan officials spoke out against it. Global leaders considered the situation in venues including the United Nations, and Venezuelans living in the US celebrated the news of Maduro’s capture.
US intervention welcomed by many but fears remain over what will happen next. (Source: 1News)
This is how the operation unfolded:
January 2, 2026
10.46pm EST: Trump gives go-ahead for US strikes in Venezuela.
January 3, 2026
1.01am EST: US forces arrive at Maduro compound in Caracas, the capital of Venezuela.
3.29am EST: US forces are “over the water” – meaning beyond the coastline – on their way from Venezuela back to American ships stationed in the Caribbean Sea.
4.21am EST: Trump announces on Truth Social that the US has carried out a "large scale strike" against Venezuela and captured Maduro. The US president says he will hold a news conference at 11am EST.
Venezuela’s Vice President Delcy Rodríguez said, "We do not know the whereabouts of President Nicolás Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores".
She added, “We demand proof of life.”
US Attorney General Pam Bondi said Maduro and his wife would face criminal charges after an indictment in New York, vowing in a social media post that the couple would “soon face the full wrath of American justice on American soil in American courts.”
In South Florida, Venezuelans celebrated the news of Maduro’s capture at a rally held outside a South American eatery.
Trump told Fox News that the couple were aboard the US warship Iwo Jima and headed to New York, where they would face prosecution.
The Justice Department released a new indictment accusing Maduro and his wife for their alleged roles in a narco-terrorism conspiracy.
Trump posted a photo on social media showing Maduro wearing a sweatsuit and a blindfold with the caption “Nicolas Maduro on board the USS Iwo Jima.”
Accompanying Trump at a press conference – which got underway nearly 40 minutes after its scheduled 11am EST start time – were Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, CIA Director John Ratcliffe and Stephen Miller, a top White House aide overseeing homeland security matters.
Trump said the US was "going to run" Venezuela until a "judicious" transition of power. At that moment, there were no visible signs the US was controlling the country.
In a televised address to the nation lasting less than 15 minutes, Rodríguez left open the door for dialogue with the US while also seeking to calm ruling party supporters.
"Here, we have a government with clarity, and I repeat and repeat again … we are willing to have respectful relations," she said, referring to the Trump administration. "It is the only thing we will accept for a type of relationship after having attacked [Venezuela].”
Venezuela’s high court ordered Rodriguez to assume the role of interim president, and the leader was backed by Venezuela’s military. A plane carrying Maduro arrived in New York following his capture by the US, an AP source said.
January 4, 2026
In a statement read on Cuban state TV, the Cuban government announced that the American military strikes in Venezuela had killed 32 Cuban military and police officers who had been on a mission at the request of Venezuela’s government.
In comments aboard Air Force One flying from Florida to Washington, Trump said Venezuela was sick and needed US support, adding: “Colombia’s very sick, too. Run by a sick man who likes making cocaine and selling it to the United States. And he’s not going to be doing it very long.”
Asked if that might mean a US operation that could target Colombia President Gustavo Petro, Trump responded, "sounds good to me".
Saying he had repeatedly offered US troops to Mexico, which he said “has to get their act together” on drug trafficking, Trump said President Claudia Sheinbaum is “concerned, she’s a little afraid”.
Questioned about US military force in Cuba, however, Trump said: “I think it’s just going to fall. ... I don’t think we need any action.”
January 5, 2026
Maduro arrives at the federal courthouse in New York City. The UN Security Council held an emergency meeting, where both allies and adversaries of the United States voiced opposition to the US raid.
Maduro's son appeared in Venezuela’s National Assembly, where the country’s lawmakers elected in parliamentary elections last May were set to be sworn in.
Maduro Guerra, also known as "Nicolásito", demanded that his parents be returned by American authorities and called on international support.
SHARE ME