Nicolás Maduro was captured in a U.S. special‑forces operation mainly because Washington has treated him as a wanted “narco‑terrorist” and illegitimate ruler who threatens U.S. security and regional stability.

Key reasons the US moved on Maduro

  • Narco‑terrorism charges and bounty
    • Maduro was indicted in a U.S. court in 2020 on narco‑terrorism and drug‑trafficking charges, accused of working with Colombia’s FARC guerrillas to ship tons of cocaine toward the U.S. over many years.
* Washington later doubled the reward for information leading to his capture to about **$50 million** , signalling it saw him less as a normal head of state and more as a criminal boss.
  • Labeling his network as a terrorist organization
    • U.S. authorities accuse Maduro and senior Venezuelan officials of helping run the so‑called Cártel de los Soles , which the Trump administration designated a foreign terrorist organization, tying the regime directly to organized crime and violence.
* Officials also link Maduro to gangs like **Tren de Aragua** , which has been described by the U.S. as a transnational criminal or terrorist group involved in drug trafficking and violent attacks.

Why now, and why this kind of operation?

  • Escalating pressure and sanctions
    • For years the U.S. used sanctions, indictments, and rewards to try to force Maduro from power, including seizures of Venezuelan oil tankers and tighter blocks on sanctioned crude exports.
* The raid that captured him came after an extended campaign of economic and legal pressure failed to dislodge him, and after the U.S. framed his post‑election behavior and repression as fresh proof he would not leave through normal politics.
  • Framing it as a security operation, not just regime change
    • U.S. officials argue Maduro “weaponized cocaine” against the United States, presenting the capture as a counter‑terrorism and anti‑cartel action comparable to past operations against figures like Manuel Noriega in Panama.
* The use of an elite unit like Delta Force and simultaneous strikes on Venezuelan targets reflect that framing: a large‑scale, fast operation justified on security grounds, even though it removes a sitting president.

How each side is presenting what happened

  • U.S. narrative
    • President Trump announced that Maduro and his wife were “captured and flown out of the country” after a “large scale strike” on Venezuela, saying the U.S. had “successfully carried out” the operation and implying coordination with law‑enforcement agencies for prosecution.
* U.S. commentary emphasizes alleged drug crimes, terrorism links, and human‑rights abuses, portraying the capture as law enforcement on a global scale, not an invasion for oil or ideology.
  • Venezuelan government narrative
    • Caracas has denounced the events as U.S. military aggression , accusing Washington of bombing both civilian and military sites and declaring a national emergency in response.
* Officials argue the real motive is control over Venezuela’s vast oil reserves and punishment of a government that resisted U.S. pressure, framing Maduro as a victim of imperial overreach rather than a criminal fugitive.

What “capture” means next

  • Legal and political fallout
    • With Maduro in U.S. custody, prosecutors can attempt to formally try him on the existing narco‑terrorism and trafficking indictments, potentially bringing out years of intelligence and witness testimony in court.
* Regionally and globally, the move raises hard questions: whether de‑facto rulers under indictment are fair targets for commando raids, and whether this sets a precedent for similar actions against other embattled leaders.

In short, why did “we” capture Maduro?
Because U.S. leaders decided that treating him as a wanted cartel‑linked, narco‑terrorist figure who had ignored years of sanctions and diplomacy justified a high‑risk military and law‑enforcement operation to remove him from power and bring him into custody.

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