The early morning of January 3, 2026, will be recorded as the end of Nicolás Maduro's regime. A series of explosions in Caracas marked the beginning of "Operation Absolute Resolution," the military deployment ordered by U.S. President Donald Trump, which resulted in the capture of the Venezuelan leader and his wife, Cilia Flores.
From the explosions in Caracas to the state of emergency
After three in the morning, Venezuelan social media began reporting intense explosions in Caracas. At 3:46 AM, Maduro publicly denounced a bombing by the United States and stated, "They attacked us." An hour later, the regime declared a state of emergency and acknowledged a "serious military aggression."
The confirmation of Trump and the intervention of the Delta Force
At 4:36 am, Donald Trump officially confirmed the capture of Maduro and Cilia Flores in a military operation "precise and without American casualties." The action was carried out by Delta Force, an elite unit of the U.S. military, which stormed the presidential complex where both were sleeping.
The initial objectives and the collapse of the defensive system
The attacks destroyed key military facilities and communication centers of the regime. According to reports, Maduro's Cuban security —responsible for his personal protection— was neutralized in a matter of minutes, leaving the intelligence network of Chavismo without a response.
Formal charges and custody transfer
Hours later, the U.S. Department of Justice filed charges of drug trafficking and narco-terrorism against Maduro, his wife, and high-ranking officials of the regime. Washington confirmed that they would be tried in a federal court in New York.
From Caracas to Guantánamo, and then to New York
Military sources indicated that Maduro was initially transferred to the Guantanamo naval base, where he remained in temporary custody before being taken to the continental United States. At 4:54 PM, CiberCuba confirmed his arrival in New York on a U.S. military flight.
"Hello, Happy New Year": the final image
In the early hours of January 4, images released by U.S. agencies showed Nicolás Maduro handcuffed and escorted by DEA agents as he entered a federal facility in Manhattan. "Hello, Happy New Year," he was heard saying before being led inside the building.
The end of an era
The capture of Maduro marks the end of more than two decades of Chavismo in Venezuela and completely reconfigures the political landscape in Latin America. While the opposition celebrates the downfall of the regime, the world watches the beginning of a new phase that could have immediate repercussions in Cuba and Nicaragua.
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