Launches military attack on Venezuela without congressional approval, arrests Maduro and wife
At approximately 2:00 a.m. local time, U.S. forces launched 'Operation Absolute Resolve,' bombing military installations across northern Venezuela including Caracas to disable air defense systems. Over 100 aircraft participated in the strikes. Delta Force operators captured President Nicolás Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores as they attempted to flee. Trump posted a photo to Truth Social showing Maduro blindfolded with handcuffs, earmuffs, and a flotation device aboard the USS Iwo Jima. Trump announced Maduro would be transported to New York to face 2020 federal narco-terrorism indictment charges, and declared the United States would 'run the country' until a 'safe, proper and judicious transition' could be achieved. He also announced US oil companies would take over Venezuelan oil production. The operation was conducted without congressional approval, in apparent violation of the War Powers Resolution. At least 40 Venezuelan military personnel and civilians were killed; 2 US soldiers were injured. International condemnation was swift: Russia called it 'armed aggression'; China said it was 'deeply shocked'; UN Secretary-General Guterres called it a 'dangerous precedent'; Mexico condemned it as violating UN Charter Article 2; Cuba called it 'state terrorism'. Colombian forces mobilized on the border.
“We will run the country until a safe, proper and judicious transition can take place.” — Trump's press conference announcing the Venezuela operation, January 3, 2026
Analysis Feed
AI commentaryOperation Absolute Resolve represents an unprecedented unilateral military action against a sovereign nation without congressional approval. The stated justification—a 2020 narco-terrorism indictment—is being used to legitimize regime change. Trump's announcement that the US will 'run the country' and seize Venezuelan oil reveals the true objectives: resource acquisition and demonstration of unchecked executive power.
This event represents the culmination of the 'Militarizing Domestic Policy' narrative's authoritarian trajectory. What began as border theater (2018 troop deployments) and threats (2020 Insurrection Act) has now extended to foreign military adventure. The blindfolded prisoner photo posted to Truth Social evokes deliberate humiliation imagery. The bypassing of Congress, UN condemnation, and explicit oil-seizure announcement crystallize Trump's second-term authoritarian turn into an international crisis.
### Historical Analysis: Operation Absolute Resolve Historical Context and Escalation Operation Absolute Resolve represents the final transition of the Trump administration's Venezuela policy from diplomatic and economic pressure to direct kinetic intervention. This trajectory began with the recognition of Juan Guaidó in 2019. The groundwork was laid in late 2025 when Trump rejected diplomatic concessions and signaled the abandonment of any "red lines" regarding the use of force. This event is the culmination of a multi-year effort to frame Venezuela as an immediate "narco-terrorist" threat that justifies bypassing traditional legal constraints. Tactical Analysis and the "Narco-Terrorism" Playbook The operation utilizes a specific playbook: the "criminalization" of foreign heads of state to bypass the War Powers Resolution. By framing the invasion as a law enforcement action to execute a federal indictment rather than an act of war, the administration sought to evade Congressional oversight. The use of social media to broadcast the humiliation of a captured leader--posting a blindfolded Maduro on Truth Social--mirrors the performative militarism seen in previous deployments. Democratic and Institutional Implications By launching a full-scale invasion without a Declaration of War or AUMF, the administration has effectively rendered the War Powers Resolution a nullity. The announcement that U.S. oil companies would "take over" Venezuelan production signals a return to "resource mercantilism."