The Venezuelan dictator was in a supposed safe house when the Delta Force commandos burst in just after 2am and snatched him and his wife, before his security team had time to secure the property’s final defence of two heavy steel doors. Even if they had, the Americans were armed with blowtorches.
Within minutes Nicolás Maduro and Cilia Flores were being flown by helicopter across a moonlit Caribbean Sea to the USS Iwo Jima, an amphibious assault ship. They are expected to be sent to a New
York federal detention centre before facing trial on drug trafficking charges.
The swiftness of the capture has led to speculation that Maduro may have been betrayed by someone in his inner circle. His personal security was understood to have been overseen by Cuba.
Trump says US oil companies will spend billions in Venezuela to revive their infrastructure.
For Canada, this means we can kiss capital investments in our industry goodbye. That is unless China comes looking for out oil, but a pivot to China is dangerous. pic.twitter.com/aqLtKaD1ya— Brian Lilley (@brianlilley) January 3, 2026
