03/01/2026
Breaking: U.S. Files Terrorism, Drug Charges Against Venezuela’s President
The United States has announced that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro is facing terrorism and drug-related charges following claims of his capture during a large-scale U.S. military operation.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump disclosed the development on Saturday via a post on Truth Social, alleging that President Maduro and his wife were captured and flown out of Venezuela in an operation carried out in conjunction with U.S. law enforcement agencies.
Trump further stated that he would address the matter at a press conference scheduled for 11:00 a.m. (1600 GMT) at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida, where he is currently concluding the Christmas and New Year holidays.
According to the claims, the operation followed months of diplomatic and political pressure on the Maduro administration over allegations of drug trafficking, terrorism links and questions surrounding the legitimacy of his continued stay in power. A U.S. official, quoted by international media, said the operation was executed by elite special forces.
Washington has previously accused President Maduro of presiding over what it described as a “narco-state” and of manipulating the 2024 presidential election, an election the Venezuelan opposition insists it won decisively. Maduro, who assumed office in 2013 after the death of former President Hugo Chávez, has repeatedly rejected the allegations, accusing the United States of seeking control over Venezuela’s vast oil reserves — the largest in the world.
If confirmed, the reported operation would mark the most direct U.S. military action in Latin America since the 1989 invasion of Panama that led to the removal of military ruler Manuel Noriega.
