How the United States Removed Nicolás Maduro in the Fastest Regime Change in Modern History

Less than a week into 2026, the United States executed Operation Absolute Resolve, which may be the fastest regime-change operation in modern history, removing Venezuelan strongman Nicolás Maduro in a covert military operation that immediately reshaped the Western Hemisphere’s balance of power.

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According to US President Donald Trump, Maduro and his wife are now incarcerated in New York where they are being charged with narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy, possession of machine guns and destructive devices, and conspiracy to possess machine guns and destructive devices.  They have pleaded not guilty to all charges.

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The capture of Maduro and his wife was completed with surgical precision. However, it was made possible with months of covert intelligence presence in Venezuela. By late summer, intelligence operations were already underway. According to John Daniel “Raizin” Caine, A CIA team has been in the country tracking patterns of when and where Maduro ate, slept, and traveled. They even knew the names of his pets. Additionally, US warships were stationed off the coast of Venezuela. United States Special Operations Forces (SOF) trained for months, practicing striking a replica of the Miraflores Presidential Palace similar to how SOF trained for killing Bin Laden. Public escalation followed months later.

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The relationship between United States President Donald Trump and Maduro had been brittle. Since the Biden administration, America has seen the dictator as a threat, especially pertaining to his alignments with Russia, China, and Iran. 

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In early August, Maduro publicly broadcasted a speech where he dared Trump, “Come for me... I'm waiting for you here in Miraflores! Don't take too long to arrive, coward.” Trump then began to target boats believed to be used by Venezuelan narcoterrorists. As tensions continued to build, Trump gave Maduro a final warning in late December. In a private phone call, he told Maduro, “you have got to surrender.” Maduro did not heed this warning, and America sprung into action. 

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At 10:47 ET on January 2nd, Trump gave the order to begin the mission. First, electricity in Venezuela was cut. Then, over 150 aircrafts from 20 different bases flew towards Caracas. The fleet included bombers, fighter jets, and ISR aircraft. Aircrafts fired weapons to disable Venezuelan weapons systems and clear a path for helicopters. 

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100 feet above the water, helicopters carrying SOF responsible for Maduro’s capture flew into Caracas. Flown in by the Air Force’s 160th Special Operation Regiment (Nightstalkers), the elite Army unit Delta Force breached the palace. The compound that Maduro slept in was described as a “heavily fortified military fortress” guarded by Cuban security forces. Maduro and his wife were taken “completely by surprise” by the breach. Following the capture, a firefight broke out and a helicopter was hit. However, not a single American servicemember was killed and those injured are in stable condition. All in all, the capture was said to have taken just over an hour. Maduro and his wife were moved onto the USS Iwo Jima and subsequently transported to America. 

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This operation was symbolic. It occurred during the anniversary of Operation Just Cause, where the United States captured the former drug trafficking dictator of Panama, Manuel Noriega. Chinese diplomats were in Venezuela during Operation Just Cause. Additionally, a fighter pilot blew up the mausoleum that housed the remains of former communist Venezuelan dictator Hugo Chavez.

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Sentiment towards Operation Just Cause has been mixed. American adversaries including Russia, Iran, and China have swiftly condemned US actions. China accused America of acting like a “world judge”. Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Uruguay have written a joint statement condemning the actions and accusing America of breaking international law. Other countries including Argentina and Israel were vocal supporters. In America, Trump critics have taken to the streets to protest the operation. Members of the Venezuelan diaspora have taken to the streets to celebrate the removal of a dictator that sanctioned the torture of women and children and greenlit extrajudicial executions. 

The message was unmistakable: America still enforces red lines. Anyone who threatens America will find out what peace by strength feels like. 

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America now has control of one of the most significant oil reserves in the Western Hemisphere. Narcoterrorist syndicates are weakened on a structural level. However, there is long-term strategic concern that Venezuela could become a repeat of Iraq. We have removed a tyrant, but there is no plan for “what next”. As of now, Trump has claimed that America will take temporary control of Venezuela. In a region rife with non-state actors, there is always a threat of nonstate actors scrambling to fill a vacuum. 

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The United States has seen this moment before. From Panama to Iraq, history shows that eliminating a dictator can be both morally justified and strategically perilous. Operation Absolute Resolve proved that America remains capable of swift, overwhelming action against those who threaten its people and sovereignty. Yet victory is not defined by capture alone. The true measure of success will be whether Venezuela emerges stable, sovereign, and free from the criminal networks that thrived under Maduro’s rule—or whether the absence of a plan allows new threats to take his place. Strength may win the moment, but foresight will decide the outcome.

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