US Military Detains Venezuelan President; Trump Hails 'Brilliant Operation'
On January 3, 2026, the United States launched a large-scale military operation against Venezuela, resulting in the detention of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife. US President Donald Trump announced this on his social media, praising the operation as “brilliant” and confirming that Maduro had been taken out of the country. In response, the Venezuelan President declared a state of emergency across the nation. Various speculations are circulating regarding the background of this sudden operation. According to sources within the Venezuelan opposition speaking to Sky News, the “capture” operation might have been part of a “negotiated departure” between President Maduro and the US, with some suggesting that the president himself was aware of the operation in advance. Indeed, reports indicate there was little resistance from the Venezuelan military. Furthermore, it's believed that US special forces capitalized on intelligence that President Maduro had met with a Chinese delegation j...