President Trump said he watched a daring US raid from Mar-a-Lago as Nicolás Maduro’s capture triggers global shock, legal battles and urgent calls for de-escalation.
US President Donald Trump has said he personally watched the military operation that led to the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, describing the raid as an “amazing” mission carried out with extraordinary speed and precision.
Speaking to Fox & Friends Weekend just hours after the operation, Trump said he followed the raid live from his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida, watching video feeds as US forces stormed the location where the Venezuelan leader was staying.
“It was an amazing thing, the amazing job that these people did,” Trump said. “There’s nobody else who could have done anything like it.”
‘Steel doors breached in seconds’
Trump said the footage showed US forces breaking through reinforced steel doors within seconds, a moment he described as unlike anything he had seen before. He praised the elite troops involved and claimed the operation was executed flawlessly.
The President said no American troops were killed during the mission, though he suggested some may have been injured after a helicopter involved in the raid was hit. He did not provide further details.
According to Trump, Maduro and his wife were extracted by helicopter and flown out of Venezuela to the USS Iwo Jima, one of several US warships operating in the Caribbean. He said the pair were now being transported to the United States and would be taken to New York.
“They’ll be heading into New York,” Trump said. “The helicopters took them out — a nice flight. I’m sure they loved it.”
Court appearance and charges in New York
US media reported that Maduro could make an initial appearance in a federal court in Manhattan as early as Monday, though the timing could still change. Attorney General Pam Bondi confirmed that Maduro and Flores have already been indicted in the Southern District of New York.
Bondi said the charges include narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy, possession of machine guns and destructive devices, and conspiracy to possess prohibited weapons against the United States.
“They will soon face the full wrath of American justice on American soil,” Bondi said, praising the military forces involved and thanking Trump for authorising the operation.
‘New dawn’ message from Washington
Senior US officials hailed the capture as a turning point for Venezuela. Vice President J D Vance said the administration had repeatedly warned Maduro before authorising military action, accusing him of drug trafficking and theft of oil resources.
“Maduro is the newest person to find out that President Trump means what he says,” Vance said, calling the raid a “truly impressive operation”.
Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau went further, describing the moment as a “new dawn for Venezuela”, declaring that the “tyrant is gone”.
Maduro seized during night-time raid
US media reports, citing sources familiar with the operation, said the raid took place in the middle of the night. According to CNN, US forces dragged Maduro and his wife from their bedroom during what was described as a highly secretive “snatch and grab” mission.
The operation reportedly relied on US Army Delta Force soldiers, with intelligence support from the CIA, which identified Maduro’s precise location. Chinook helicopters and other special forces assets were said to have been deployed.
Explosions rock Caracas, emergency declared
The capture claim followed a series of loud explosions in Caracas in the early hours of Saturday. Residents reported hearing aircraft overhead and multiple blasts around 2:00 a.m., triggering panic across several neighbourhoods.
Videos circulating on social media showed plumes of smoke rising from different parts of the city. Brief power outages and partial disruptions to telecommunications were also reported, including near a military base.
Maduro later declared a national emergency, while Venezuelan authorities accused the United States of “extremely serious military aggression”, alleging the attack was aimed at undermining Venezuela’s sovereignty and seizing its natural resources.
International concern and calls for restraint
The European Union said it was following developments “with great concern” and urged de-escalation. European Council President António Costa called for a resolution that respects international law and the UN Charter, while EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas stressed that the safety of European citizens in Venezuela was a priority.
Despite growing international unease, Trump dismissed criticism from US lawmakers questioning the legality of the operation, insisting it was justified and warning Venezuelan officials against remaining loyal to Maduro.
As clarity over the full scope of the operation continues to emerge, the claims mark one of the most dramatic escalations in US–Venezuela relations in decades, with far-reaching implications for the region and beyond.
