Venezuela - President Nicolas Maduro & his wife "captured and flown out of country" by U.S. Army Delta Force during "large scale attack" - Jan 3, 2026

[justtrish]

It was a scoop by Semafor. No one would be bragging about it, and Sec State would not of thanked them for not endangering troops because they heard a rumor of some planes taking off. And how do we know Trump people told them? Because Trump people ran the show. I can't inagine the oil barons calling the 2 largest newspaper to give away Trump secrets about a mission that they were to earn massive income from. Imo

"The New York Times and Washington Post learned of a secret US raid on Venezuela soon before it was scheduled to begin Friday"

News organizations held off on reporting Venezuela raid

The American news organizations held their stories over concerns about endangering US troops.

www.semafor.com

Just before a raid was to begin could have been well after the aircraft took off, which likely started hours before the planes arrived near Venezuela. B1 bombers are very loud at takeoff and likely would have been heard. The airspace over Venezuela was closed for a while and people are tracking military aircraft all the time. There are Reddit threads and people on Twitter that report aircraft flying all the time. People don't have to have specifics of a mission to know something is going on and tell someone else. The media has been in Puerto Rico reporting on the buildup of US assets there including aircraft. Here are some links to reporting on that.

US deploys fighter jets to Gulf of Venezuela in closest known approach yet, amid rising tension

The US deployed two fighter jets over the Gulf of Venezuela Tuesday, marking what appeared to be the closest known approach of military aircraft to Venezuelan airspace to date, according to reports…

nypost.com

Here is the reporting on the Iran bombers. People did notice and they assumed it was prepositioning for something to happen later.

US bombing of Iran started with a fake-out

The Iranians were caught completely flat-footed, the Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman said.

www.reuters.com

WASHINGTON, June 22 (Reuters) - As Operation "Midnight Hammer" got underway on Saturday, a group of B-2 bombers took off from their base in Missouri and were noticed heading out toward the Pacific island of Guam, in what experts saw as possible pre-positioning for any U.S. decision to strike Iran.

 

[Arkay]

Just popping in as I haven’t read the thread yet. I’m sure there will be strong opinions on both sides.

I only want to say that my former husband and I were in Caracas in 1980. I have absolutely no idea who was the president then and what the policies were.

All I know is that it was a port on a cruise we were on, and the ship notified us, warned us actually, that women were not allowed to wear shorts or show their legs in any way, and if we left the ship to visit the city, we had to wear long pants.

Which I did, although it was SWELTERING.

It turned out to be, IIRC, that it was some kind of modesty rule, I think by the Catholic Church?

Again, that was 1980 and clearly this Venezuela and that Venezuela are not the same.

JMO and experience

ETA: Personally I have extremely mixed emotions about what has occurred.

 

[NuttMegg]

92-year-old judge handling Maduro case ‘doesn’t give a s--t what anyone thinks about him’​

Lawyers who have practiced before the Clinton appointee say he’s known to operate a bit differently.

https://www.politico.com/news/2026/01/05/venezuela-maduro-judge-hellerstein-00710894

 

[Arkay]

My very short version and obviously only my opinion, which vacillates each time I think about this scenario.

Pro—- yes, Maduro was an unelected brutal dictator, a cartel guy, a thuggish guy, heavily involved with the drug industry, and buddies with Putin, China, Iran and that sort. The citizens of Venezuela appear mostly overjoyed that he’s been forcefully removed.

Con—-if Trump wants to show the world that he’s a macho badazz, he should have kidnapped the ayatollah, or swiped Putin right out of the Kremlin. Which does make me think oil is the goal, but he didn’t think he could conquer Iran right now.

Completely 100% in favor——-the American military.

They have to follow orders, they don’t get to voice their opinions on a military action, but I credit them for their skill and bravery. As a maneuver, they did a James Bond type of job.

JUST MY OPINION

 

[Ruminations]

interesting allegation considering Maduro is accused of the abductions, beatings and murders of others.

I hear you.

Here are my wishes:

1) Maduro is brought to justice in Venezuela.
2) Trump is brought to justice in the USA.

MOO

 

[PrairieWind]

Maybe. But imo there will be more danger to expats throughout the world. With all these angry and frightened citizens taking it out on foreigners. In this case, come to think of it, the foreigners subjected to payback and discrimination will be Americans.

So Americans abroad will be punished by someone for the US removing the illegally sitting dictator of Venezuela? Who would do that? I guess they would have to be people associated with the drug cartels somehow?

 

[PrairieWind]

My very short version and obviously only my opinion, which vacillates each time I think about this scenario.

Pro—- yes, Maduro was an unelected brutal dictator, a cartel guy, a thuggish guy, heavily involved with the drug industry, and buddies with Putin, China, Iran and that sort. The citizens of Venezuela appear mostly overjoyed that he’s been forcefully removed.

Con—-if Trump wants to show the world that he’s a macho badazz, he should have kidnapped the ayatollah, or swiped Putin right out of the Kremlin. Which does make me think oil is the goal, but he didn’t think he could conquer Iran right now.

Completely 100% in favor——-the American military.

They have to follow orders, they don’t get to voice their opinions on a military action, but I credit them for their skill and bravery. As a maneuver, they did a James Bond type of job.

JUST MY OPINION

Why didn't the UN or other entities remove the ayatollah or Putin? Everyone complains with the US does something and then everyone complains when the US doesn't do something. Why hasn't the EU forces removed Putin from power? They could probably pull it off. why don't they even try?

 

[Ruminations]

Donald Trump Admits Oil Companies Knew About Venezuela Operation Before Congress

It's official.

Corporations, who are not elected, are running the country while my elected representatives are cut out of the loop.

That is very, very sad.


MOO

 

[Ruminations]

It is so bizarre. With the precision used to find Maduro, somehow we can't find

1) where the fentanyl is crossing the border.
2) which Americans are in charge of distribution to a multitude of warehouses
3) which Americans package and sell it

Nope, too hard. The whole drug problem is external.

I'd add: it's apparently too hard to deal with demand issues. Nobody benefits from neighbors with substance use disorders, and nobody really wants to be the person with a substance use disorder. Better healthcare=fewer customers=less illicit drug trafficking.

MOO

 

[LAborn]

I'd add: it's apparently too hard to deal with demand issues. Nobody benefits from neighbors with substance use disorders, and nobody really wants to be the person with a substance use disorder. Better healthcare=fewer customers=less illicit drug trafficking.

MOO

But we all know big money is made with the drug and prison industries in the US. Private prison stocks can be purchased as an investment, for crying out loud.

"You follow drugs, you get drug addicts and drug dealers. But you start to follow the money, and you don't know where the f*** it's gonna take you." - Det. Lester Freamon, The Wire

Or do we?

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/12-best-prison-law-enforcement-161158411.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly9kdWNrZHVja2dvLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAAwCo1OrKsL7DMHLevZ_HPhfdWEb09t0QTbhysxlARIqInbAuc0WSt-ayLFngKFKVZ2oagOZ0s0QZZYEDEWpm3iTOdLWxnvOCJexeLoCCr2oSS3XnN4fxvCR9ULJavUWT3iB7xznGOoPcENbsbaJM1Va8aM-IcVv0aPNEzxjDjm9

 

[bearfossils]

72 percent worried US will become too involved in Venezuela: Survey

Most Americans say they worry the U.S. will become too involved in Venezuela, according to a survey conducted just after the operation that ousted President Nicolás Maduro from power.

In the two-day Reuters/Ipsos survey that concluded Monday, 72 percent of Americans said they are concerned the U.S. might get too involved in Venezuela, while 25 percent said they don’t share that concern.

 

[Gators North]

A vote on Trump’s war powers​

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said Sunday that he and Sens. Tim Kaine and Rand Paul intend to put their war powers resolution on the Senate floor this week in an attempt to rein in the president from further attacks in Venezuela without congressional approval.

https://edition.cnn.com/2026/01/05/politics/congress-aca-subsidies-vote-shutdown-ukraine

72 percent worried US will become too involved in Venezuela: Survey

If he invades those other countries (Mexico, Columbia, Greenland, etc.), that will be a war on too many fronts and he’s doomed to failure. I’m not too worried about Canada at this point. As my husband used to say, they will kick azz and take names.

 

[NuttMegg]

If he invades those other countries (Mexico, Columbia, Greenland, etc.), that will be a war on too many fronts and he’s doomed to failure. I’m not too worried about Canada at this point. As my husband used to say, they will kick azz and take names.

Sheesh. I forgot Canada, sorry.

 

[Gators North]

Sheesh. I forgot Canada, sorry.

My cousins and I were ranting about this last night. How could he ever annex Canada as the “51st state”? Canada is one HUGE country! I don’t think it will ever happen.

Do I need a MOO lol?

 

[bearfossils]

But we all know big money is made with the drug and prison industries in the US. Private prison stocks can be purchased as an investment, for crying out loud.

"You follow drugs, you get drug addicts and drug dealers. But you start to follow the money, and you don't know where the f*** it's gonna take you." - Det. Lester Freamon, The Wire

Or do we?

I had a rich friend in high school whose parents made a majority of their wealth from owning stock in private prisons. They took half a dozens cruises throughout the year and lived in a million home down a gated private lane.

The wealthy will always find a way to skirt draconian or abusive laws while also profiting handsomely from them. Users and small time dealers are rarely the ones who have a hand in anything meaningful, but feel the wrath from the false morality dolled out by those in power. Anything to punish the poor.

 

[NuttMegg]

He probably won't attack Honduras since he just pardoned the biggest drug trafficker we've ever convicted and sentenced. It wouldn't be right to arrest him again after only a couple of months. Imo

 

[shotgun09]

Looking like things ( some pew-pewing ) might be happening in Caracas, Venezuela right now. Watching on 'x'.

 

[acutename]

Trump ppl also shared with wapo and nyt ahead of time. Seems like they shared with everyone they wanted to curry favor with but not the legislators they were lawfully required to tell, er, ask permission. IMO

NYT and WaPo held reporting about Maduro raid, drawing rare praise from Secretary of State Marco Rubio

Rubio publicly thanked the press Sunday for keeping quiet about the secret operation until US forces were safely out of Venezuela.

nypost.com

interesting. thought that Trump and WAPO/NYT were not on good terms

 

[acutename]

what is the US doing with the Maduros while they are in custody? special consideration or nothing special at all? just curious about this

 

[NuttMegg]

interesting. thought that Trump and WAPO/NYT were not on good terms

Well wapo is Bezos, apparently they approved of the invasion, but nyt did not. So it might have been a play for approval from the press. Let's say 99.9%.

Imo