In a dramatic overnight operation, the United States military launched multiple strikes and successfully captured Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. President Donald Trump hailed the intervention as “an assault like people have not seen since world war two,” vowing that the U.S. would temporarily run the leaderless country until an orderly transition of power could be established. Maduro, apprehended from his Caracas compound, was transported by a white Boeing 757 to Stewart Air National Guard Base in New York, where he is expected to be processed and appear in court.

The audacious military action, executed without any U.S. casualties or loss of equipment, saw explosions and black smoke rock Caracas for approximately 90 minutes. Over 150 aircraft and special operations teams were involved in the assault, which also targeted other Venezuelan states. Maduro was captured while attempting to reach a steel-reinforced safe room, unable to secure the door in time. He and his wife were whisked by helicopters to the USS Iwo Jima in the Caribbean before their transfer to New York, where they are set to face American justice on charges including narco-terrorism.

Speaking from Mar-a-Lago, President Trump articulated his administration's intentions to temporarily seize control of Venezuela and its vast oil infrastructure. He announced that