WASHINGTON, D.C. – In a phone interview on Fox & Friends on January 3, 2026, President Donald J. Trump praised the U.S. military’s execution of a swift operation in Venezuela that resulted in the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. Trump described the mission as flawless, contrasting it sharply with the 2021 U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, which he called a “laughingstock.” “Compare this to Afghanistan, where we were a laughingstock all over the world. We’re not a laughingstock anymore. We have the greatest military in the world by far,” Trump said in the interview, adding, “The professionalism and the bravery… You almost couldn’t hold them back… this could not have been better.”
The White House shared a graphic of the quote on X (formerly Twitter), emphasizing Trump’s commendation of the armed forces. The operation, announced by Trump on Truth Social earlier that morning, involved a “large-scale strike” on Venezuelan targets, including air defenses and military bases, followed by a Delta Force raid on Maduro’s fortified location in Caracas. Trump reported no U.S. casualties, calling it “amazing” given the site’s fortress-like defenses. Maduro and Flores were extracted by helicopter to the USS Iwo Jima before being transported to New York, where Maduro faces longstanding drug trafficking indictments from 2020.
“They’re on a ship, and they’ll be heading into New York… They went by helicopter on a nice flight. I’m sure they loved it,” Trump quipped during the call.
The strike, which lasted approximately 90 minutes to three hours according to various reports, neutralized Venezuelan defenses using Chinook and Apache helicopters launched from naval assets. Trump later released a photo of Maduro in custody, escorted by DEA agents, holding a water bottle—a move that drew widespread attention on social media. The president stated the U.S. would be “very much involved” in determining Venezuela’s next leadership, emphasizing the need to prevent another authoritarian figure from taking power.
The action follows months of escalating tensions, with the Trump administration accusing Maduro of narcotics trafficking, election rigging, and human rights abuses. Maduro, in a New Year’s Eve interview aired on Venezuelan state TV, had extended an “olive branch” to Trump, but the offer was evidently rejected. Venezuelan citizens were reported celebrating in the streets, viewing the capture as liberation from Maduro’s regime, which has been blamed for economic collapse and mass emigration.
Reactions in the U.S. were sharply divided along partisan lines. Republicans rallied behind the president, with Fox News contributors like Hugh Hewitt and Jonathan Turley arguing the operation had legal precedent, comparing it to the 1989 capture of Panama’s Manuel Noriega. “Trump has ‘precedent on his side’ for Maduro’s capture,” Turley said, noting potential implications for other nations. Democrats, however, erupted in outrage, criticizing the unilateral strike as a violation of international law and an overreach of executive power.
Internationally, the response was mixed. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer stated the UK was not involved and needed to “establish all the facts” before further comment. French politician Marine Le Pen condemned the move as a threat to state sovereignty, warning it sets a “dangerous precedent” for global relations. Chilean Minister Jeannette Jara Román echoed this, calling it a “grave setback” for democracy and international systems. Supporters of the operation, including Israeli accounts, expressed solidarity with the U.S., while critics like Jackson Hinkle voiced opposition, with some accusing Trump of acting on behalf of foreign interests.
Critics also highlighted potential motives beyond justice, pointing to Venezuela’s vast oil reserves and Trump’s past statements labeling the country a national security threat. Legal experts debate the operation’s constitutionality under U.S. war powers, with some drawing parallels to historical interventions in Latin America.
Trump has scheduled a press conference to discuss next steps, as the world watches for developments in post-Maduro Venezuela.
About The Author
