Blindfolded, Handcuffed! Donald Trump Shares Picture Of Venezuela President Maduro After US Strikes

International

oi-Gaurav Sharma

Updated: Saturday, January 3, 2026, 22:16 [IST]

US President Donald Trump on Saturday released the first image of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in US custody, showing him handcuffed and blindfolded aboard the USS Iwo Jima. The photograph was posted hours after American forces carried out airstrikes on Caracas and launched a special operation to detain the Venezuelan leader. Trump said Maduro was captured following what he described as a successful mission targeting a regime accused of narco-terrorism and drug trafficking. The image quickly spread online, drawing global attention and sparking debate over the legality of the operation and its impact on Venezuela's political future.

US President Donald Trump announced that Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro had been captured following a major American military operation in Caracas, marking a dramatic escalation in Washington's long-running confrontation with the Venezuelan government.

Speaking hours after the operation, Trump said US forces carried out targeted airstrikes on strategic locations in and around the Venezuelan capital before deploying special operations units to detain Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. Trump described the mission as "precise and successful," claiming it dismantled the leadership of what he called a narco-terror network operating from Venezuela.

According to US officials, the assault began around 2 am local time, when airstrikes struck key sites in Caracas, triggering loud explosions that sent residents fleeing into the streets. Shortly after, US special forces entered a secured location where Maduro was staying and took him into custody. Officials said the operation was completed swiftly, with Maduro and Flores removed from Venezuelan territory within hours.

In his remarks, Trump said Maduro had been transferred to US custody and would face justice in American courts. "He is now under arrest and will be held accountable for years of drugs, corruption and violence," Trump said, adding that the United States would play a decisive role in shaping Venezuela's future after Maduro's removal.

US authorities later confirmed that federal prosecutors in New York had filed multiple criminal charges against Maduro and Flores, including narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation, and weapons-related offences. Trump said the indictments were the result of years of investigations into alleged links between the Venezuelan leadership and international drug trafficking networks.

The president defended the legality of the operation, arguing that Maduro posed a direct threat to regional and US security. He dismissed criticism from foreign governments and said Washington would not "stand by while criminal regimes destroy their own people and poison others with drugs."

Trump also hinted at deeper US involvement in Venezuela going forward, including in the country's energy sector, saying America would be "very strongly involved" in stabilising the nation after Maduro's exit.

The announcement triggered sharp global reactions, with several countries questioning the legality of the raid and warning of dangerous precedents. Inside Venezuela, uncertainty spread over who would assume power, as opposition leaders called for a rapid political transition and the restoration of democratic institutions.

As Maduro prepares to face trial in the United States, Venezuela remains on edge, with the future of its leadership, military loyalty and governance still unclear following one of the most dramatic foreign interventions in its modern history.