US President Donald Trump on Saturday (January 3) said American forces carried out an “extraordinary” overnight military operation in Venezuela’s capital, claiming it resulted in the capture of President Nicolás Maduro and the complete neutralisation of the country’s military capabilities.
Speaking at a press conference at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, Trump described the assault as one of the most powerful demonstrations of US military strength in history.
“Late last night and early today, at my direction, the United States Armed Forces conducted an extraordinary military operation in the capital of Venezuela,” Trump said.
“Overwhelming military power — air, land and sea — was used to launch a spectacular assault, an assault like people have not seen since World War Two.”
Trump said the operation targeted what he described as a heavily fortified military stronghold in Caracas.
“This was one of the most stunning, effective and powerful displays of American military might and competence in American history,” he told reporters.
He said the mission was aimed at bringing what he called “outlaw dictator Nicolás Maduro to justice”.
Trump said Maduro was captured during the overnight raid, describing the conditions during the operation as dark and lethal.
“All Venezuelan military capacities were rendered powerless,” Trump said.
“As the men and women of our military, working with US law enforcement, successfully captured Maduro in the dead of night.”
He added that Maduro and his wife would now face justice in the United States.
Trump claimed Caracas was plunged into darkness as the operation unfolded, without providing further technical details.
“It was dark. The lights of Caracas were largely turned off due to a certain expertise that we have,” he said.
Trump said the operation was completed without any American fatalities or equipment losses.
“Not a single American service member was killed, and not a single piece of American equipment was lost,” he said.
“We had many helicopters, many planes, many, many people involved in that fight.”
He added that no other country could have carried out a mission of similar scale and speed.
“No nation in the world could achieve what America achieved yesterday,” Trump said.
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