'No Deaths on Our Side,' ‘Amazing Professionalism’: Trump Lauds US Military After Maduro’s Capture in Venezuela

Palm Beach County, US: In a dramatic escalation of tensions, U.S. military forces conducted a large-scale strike on Venezuela early on January 3 (Saturday) resulting in the capture of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores.

President Donald Trump earlier announced the operation's success on his social media platform, Truth Social. He hailed the US military for their professionalism in executing the operation in an interview.

"It was amazing to see the professionalism -- the quality of leadership...To have a few injuries, but no deaths on our side is really amazing," Trump told Fox News.

"We were surrounded by lots of people, including Generals and they knew everything that was happening. It was extremely complex- the whole manoeuvre -- the landing, number of aircraft, helicopters, different kinds of fighter jets. They just broke in, and into places which were not really able to broke into," he added.

Explosions were reported in Caracas and surrounding areas, targeting military sites including Fuerte Tiuna and La Carlota bases. Witnesses described low-flying aircraft and plumes of smoke, with the operation lasting under 30 minutes.

Asked what is next for Venezuela after Maduro would face charges in the US, Trump told Fox News, "We can't take a chance of letting somebody else run and just take over where he left off... We want liberty for the people."

He said that the people of Venezuela were very happy with the action.

"Tremendous number of people were being killed through drugs and what they did to our country in sending prisoners, people from mental institutions, drug lords. They sent hundreds and thousands of people and that is just unforgivable."

Trump told Fox News that he had not seen anything like this, and was able to watch it in real time and watched every aspect of it.

"I've never seen anything like this. I was able to watch it in real time, and I watched every aspect of it," Trump said.

"It was amazing to see the professionalism -- the quality of leadership...amazing," he added.

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced that Maduro and Flores face charges in the Southern District of New York, including narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy, and possession of machine guns and destructive devices.

"They will soon face the full wrath of American justice on American soil," Bondi stated.

Maduro and his wife were reportedly transferred by helicopter to the USS Iwo Jima and are en route to New York for trial. Vice President JD Vance defended the action, citing ongoing drug trafficking and demands for the return of "stolen oil."

Venezuelan officials, including Vice President Delcy Rodríguez, demanded proof of life and condemned the strikes as aggression. International reactions were mixed. Allies like Russia, Iran, and Cuba decried violations of sovereignty, while Argentina's Javier Milei hailed it as advancing freedom. The operation marks the most direct U.S. intervention in Latin America since the 1989 Panama invasion.

Also Read: Venezuela's Russian-Made Defense Systems Silent as US Launches Strikes and Captures President Maduro