The American President, Donald Trump, and the First Lady, Melania Trump, are meeting the special forces troops who were involved in capturing Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro in early January.
The special forces involved in Operation Absolute Resolve, the operation involved in the capture of Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores in Caracas, on the night of January 3rd 2026 are currently based at Fort Bragg, where the US President and First Lady will visit them.
83 people were killed and 112 more were injured in the assault which involved US bombing raids on Caracas, Venezuelan officials say.
A person holds up a portrait of President Nicolas Maduro during a rally to demand the release of ousted President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores, following their capture by U.S. forces during recent U.S. strikes on the country, in Barcelona, Anzoategui state, Venezuela, January 23, 2026. REUTERS/Samir Aponte
No US personnel were killed.
White House Press Secretary, Karoline Leavitt, announced that the President and First Lady would “meet with military families and the heroic members of our special forces who carried out the successful ‘Operation Absolute Resolve’ in Venezuela and helped bring narco-terrorist Nicolas Maduro to justice.”
Maduro and his wife are still detained in the United States. Maduro faces charges of drug trafficking and other crimes. He has pleaded not guilty and the next court appearance is on March 17th in New York.
