how did they capture nicolas maduro

Nicolás Maduro was captured in a surprise U.S. special operations raid in Caracas, carried out under President Donald Trump and codenamed “Operation Absolute Resolve.” Elite American forces, backed by intelligence from a long-running CIA infiltration inside Venezuela, breached his heavily fortified safe house, seized him and his wife Cilia Flores, and immediately flew them to the United States to face criminal charges.

Quick Scoop

• U.S. intelligence had been tracking Maduro’s movements, habits, security layout, and even his pets for months before the raid, using spies and aerial surveillance.

• A small CIA team and other U.S. assets infiltrated Venezuela earlier, helping map his safe locations and identify an insider within his circle who provided key details.

• U.S. special operations forces trained for weeks on a full-scale mock-up of Maduro’s compound, similar to how U.S. troops rehearsed for the Osama bin Laden raid.

How the Operation Started

• In late 2025, Washington escalated pressure on Maduro and, in the final phase, Trump personally urged him in a private call to step down and surrender; he refused.

• As tensions rose, a U.S. naval flotilla positioned itself off Venezuela’s coast, while covert units inside the country monitored Maduro’s every move in real time.

• Once the go-order was given, U.S. forces launched coordinated strikes and electronic warfare to blind parts of Venezuela’s defenses and sow confusion in Caracas.

The Night Raid in Caracas

• Under cover of darkness, helicopters carrying U.S. special operators and law-enforcement teams flew in low over the water toward Caracas.

• The primary target was a “military fortress”–style safe house in the capital, described as heavily fortified with steel doors, a bunker-like secure room, and layered guards.

• As the assault teams landed, they came under fire, and at least one U.S. helicopter was hit but stayed in the fight while the ground units pushed toward the main residence.

Breach and Capture

• The assault team used specialized breaching tools, including high-heat cutting devices and explosives, to get through thick steel doors and internal barriers.

• Maduro and Cilia Flores were reportedly caught off guard inside the residence; Maduro tried to reach a steel safe room, but the team reached him before he could lock himself in.

• Within minutes, both were subdued, handcuffed, and removed from the safe house, while other elements of the force secured the compound and neutralized remaining resistance.

Aftermath and “What Now”

• Less than an hour after the capture, Trump announced the success of the operation publicly, stating that Maduro and his wife had been detained and taken out of Venezuela.

• Maduro was then transported to the United States—reports place his arrival in New York—to face federal charges related to drug trafficking and other alleged crimes.

• Inside Venezuela, the raid triggered intense political uncertainty, with a surge of online activity and competing narratives on WhatsApp and Telegram over whether this was liberation, a coup, or an illegal intervention.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.