Related videos:
The U.S. military intervention in Venezuela, which culminated in the capture of dictator Nicolás Maduro in the early hours of January 3, 2026, marks the most dramatic escalation in relations between Washington and Caracas in decades. This report documents step by step the events that led to the so-called "Operation Absolute Resolution," from the increase in economic sanctions to Maduro's transfer to a federal prison in Brooklyn, primarily utilizing the extensive coverage from CiberCuba.
January 2025: Initial Pressure Increase
January 10, 2025: First Reward Increase to $25 Million
The United States increased the reward for information leading to the capture of Nicolás Maduro from 15 to 25 million dollars, following his swearing-in at the National Assembly controlled by chavismo for the presidential term 2025-2031. This measure was part of a new package of sanctions imposed by the administration of President Joe Biden.
In addition to the bounty on Maduro, the United States government offered $25 million for information leading to the capture of Diosdado Cabello, the Minister of the Interior, and $15 million for Vladimir Padrino López, the Minister of Defense.
The Department of the Treasury also imposed economic sanctions on eight high-ranking officials of the Venezuelan government, including the president of the state oil company PDVSA, Héctor Obregón Pérez, and the Minister of Transport, Ramón Celestino Velásquez.
February 2025: Terrorist Designations
February 19, 2025: Tren de Aragua Designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization
The United States government officially designated the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua as a foreign terrorist organization, along with six drug trafficking cartels from Mexico and the gang Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13). The Department of State announced the designation, fulfilling the executive order signed by President Donald Trump on his first day in office.
The designated Mexican cartels included: Sinaloa, Jalisco New Generation (CJNG), Gulf, Northeast, the New Michoacan Family, and United Cartels. The order signed by Trump warned that the aforementioned organizations posed an "unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the U.S."
Dozens of members of Tren de Aragua were arrested during immigration control operations in the United States and deported to the Guantanamo Naval Base.
March 2025: Secondary Tariffs
March 24, 2025: 25% Tariffs on Buyers of Venezuelan Oil
President Donald Trump announced via Truth Social that he would impose a 25% tariff on countries that purchase oil or gas from Venezuela. Trump justified the measure by stating that Nicolás Maduro's government had "deliberately and deceitfully" sent tens of thousands of criminals to the United States, including members of the Tren de Aragua.
"Any nation that buys oil or gas from Venezuela will have to pay a 25% tariff on any trade it conducts with the United States," Trump specified. The tariff will take effect on April 2, 2025, called "America's Liberation Day."
The measure would directly impact countries like China, India, and some allies in Latin America, which had continued to buy Venezuelan oil despite U.S. sanctions.
August 2025: Intensification of Military and Economic Pressure
August 7, 2025: Reward Doubled to $50 Million
The Department of Justice and the Department of State of the United States announced a historic increase in the reward for information leading to the arrest or conviction of Nicolás Maduro, raising it from 25 million to 50 million dollars.
Attorney General Pam Bondi stated that the U.S. government would not cease its efforts to bring Maduro to justice, "accused of being the centerpiece of a conspiracy involving narco-terrorism and large-scale cocaine trafficking that has claimed thousands of American lives."
Bondi emphasized that Maduro had used his position of power to act as the leader of the Cartel of the Suns, an organization composed of high-ranking Venezuelan officials that operates in alliance with groups such as the FARC. "Maduro and his partners use foreign terrorist organizations like the Tren de Aragua, the Sinaloa Cartel, and the Cartel of the Suns itself to flood our country with drugs and violence," Bondi stated.
August 16, 2025: Deployment of over 4,000 Personnel in the Caribbean
The United States military has deployed over 4,000 Marines and sailors in the waters of Latin America and the Caribbean as part of an unprecedented offensive against criminal organizations labeled as "narcoterrorists." The operation, confirmed by Pentagon sources, marked a significant shift in Washington's security strategy.
The Amphibious Ready Group of Iwo Jima and the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) integrated into Southern Command (SOUTHCOM). The deployment included destroyers, a nuclear attack submarine, reconnaissance aircraft, and a guided missile cruiser. The USS Iwo Jima, the USS Fort Lauderdale, and the USS San Antonio were leading the naval deployment in the Caribbean Sea.
September-December 2025: Naval Attack Campaign
September 2, 2025: First Lethal Attack on Vessels
The United States destroyed a speedboat in Caribbean waters during the first operation of a series that would last four months. Trump claimed that 11 members of the Tren de Aragua from Venezuela were on board; all 11 were killed in the attack.
Timeline of Attacks September-December
The offensive continued with increasing intensity:
September 15 A second vessel was intercepted in international waters of the Caribbean, with 3 confirmed dead
September 19 Third attack against a boat in the Caribbean
October 2nd: The United States sank an alleged drug trafficking boat off the coast of Venezuela, leaving 4 dead
October 14th: Attack near the shores of Venezuela, 6 dead
October 21st: First attack in the eastern Pacific, 2 dead
November 1st: Another boat bombed in the Caribbean Sea, 3 dead
November 9th: Two "twin" attacks against two boats in the Pacific, 6 dead
November 15th: The United States sank a boat in the Pacific, 3 occupants dead
December 4th: New attack against a ship in international waters
Consolidated summary: The campaign resulted in 23 boats destroyed, 87 fatalities, and an escalating crisis in the Caribbean and the Pacific, with 22 operations acknowledged across both theaters.
October-November 2025: Deployment of the USS Gerald Ford
October 24, 2025: Aircraft Carrier Deployment Order
The United States ordered the deployment of the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier and its strike group in the Caribbean. According to the Pentagon, the action was in response to a directive from President Trump to "dismantle transnational criminal organizations and counter narcoterrorism in defense of national security."
The Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, ordered the deployment of the aircraft carrier strike group Gerald R. Ford to the area of Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM). The group included the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford, the largest in the U.S. naval fleet, and the destroyers USS Mahan, USS Winston S. Churchill, and USS Bainbridge.
Its arrival would mean doubling the U.S. military presence in the area, which currently consisted of eight vessels, a submarine, and approximately 6,000 military personnel. The aircraft carrier would add another 5,000 personnel to that deployment.
November 16, 2025: Designation of the Cartel de los Soles as a Foreign Terrorist Organization
The United States Department of State announced its intention to designate the Cartel de los Soles as a foreign terrorist organization (FTO), effective from Monday, November 24, 2025.
According to the statement signed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the organization was led by Nicolás Maduro and high-ranking officials of the Chavista regime, who are accused of transforming the structures of the Venezuelan state—from the military to the judiciary—into instruments of drug trafficking and corruption.
"The Cartel of the Suns, along with other foreign terrorist organizations such as the Tren de Aragua and the Sinaloa Cartel, is responsible for terrorist violence throughout our hemisphere, as well as drug trafficking to the United States and Europe," the official statement noted.
The new FTO designation marked a fundamental difference from the previous SDGT category (specially designated global terrorists) from the Department of the Treasury, as it formally identified the Cartel as "a direct threat to the national security of the United States."
December 12, 2025: The USS Gerald Ford Enters Central Caribbean
An image captured by the Sentinel 2 satellite confirmed that the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford has repositioned its operational area and entered the central Caribbean, placing it closer to Venezuela. Satellite records located the largest nuclear aircraft carrier of the United States about 380 miles (approximately 611 kilometers) south-southwest of the city of Ponce, Puerto Rico.
The repositioning of the strike group placed the U.S. fleet directly in the central Caribbean, significantly reducing flight times to the northern coast of South America and expanding its operational range. This movement coincided with reports of F/A-18E Super Hornet fighter jets operating north of the ABC islands.
December 2025: Oil Blockade and Attacks in Venezuelan Territory
December 10, 2025: First Seizure of Oil Tanker
The United States seized an oil tanker loaded with Venezuelan crude off the country's coast. The operation, presented by President Trump as the capture of "the largest tanker ever seized" by the United States, combined a military message, an economic blow, and a direct warning to the network of ships that supported the flow of sanctioned oil.
December 16, 2025: Total Blockade of Oil Tankers and Designation of the Regime as a Terrorist Organization
In an unprecedented move, Trump announced the "total blockade of sanctioned oil tankers" entering and leaving Venezuela. Simultaneously, the United States designated the Maduro regime entirely as an "international terrorist organization."
The official again described Maduro's government as an "illegitimate regime" and labeled it as a foreign terrorist organization. Approximately 18 oil tankers under sanctions, fully loaded with oil, were being monitored in Venezuelan waters.
December 20, 2025: Second Seizure of Oil Tanker
The United States confiscated another ship off the coast of Venezuela. After the second seizure, Trump stated that his administration "will continue to pursue all ships carrying Venezuelan oil," and even announced a "naval blockade" against tankers sanctioned for their ties to the regimes in Caracas and Tehran.
December 24-25, 2025: CIA Drone Attack on Venezuelan Dock
The United States carried out, on the night of Christmas Eve, between December 24 and 25, 2025, the first officially recognized direct attack within the territory of Venezuela: a CIA drone operation against a remote dock on the Venezuelan coast.
The white was an isolated dock on the Venezuelan coast, described as a loading and departure point for fast boats used to transport cocaine to the Caribbean and Central America, under the control of the Tren de Aragua and operators connected to the chavista elite.
Although Washington did not disclose the type of drone used, the prior deployment of MQ-9 Reapers in the Caribbean theater indicated that this platform was the most likely. The aircraft reportedly took off from an advanced base in the Caribbean — sources mention deployments in Puerto Rico — and flew towards the Venezuelan coast at a medium to high altitude.
Days later, Trump claimed responsibility for the operation at a public event, stating that the United States "destroyed a major facility" in Venezuela and talking about a "huge explosion in the dock area where ships load drugs."
December 31, 2025: New Sanctions on the "Phantom Fleet"
The United States imposed new sanctions against four companies that it accuses of operating in Venezuela's oil sector and participating in sanctions evasion schemes. In addition, it identified four oil tankers associated as blocked property.
The sanctioned companies were: Corniola Limited and Krape Myrtle Co LTD (linked to the oil tanker NORD STAR), Winky International Limited (associated with the oil tanker ROSALIND), and Aries Global Investment LTD (linked to the oil tanker DELLA and the vessel VALIANT).
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated that the United States "will not allow Maduro's 'illegitimate regime' to benefit from oil exports," and that the Department will continue to implement its pressure campaign against Caracas.
January 3, 2026: Operation Absolute Resolution
Planning and Preparation
The "Operation Absolute Resolution" was the result of "months of planning and rehearsals" and had the support of real-time aerial and ground intelligence. Intelligence teams had been gathering information about Maduro: "where he moved, what pets he had... and what clothes he wore."
The CIA had an infiltrated source within Maduro's government that provided accurate information about his location. The U.S. intelligence agency reportedly used a network of Venezuelan informants—possibly one within the Cuban security ring—and a fleet of stealth drones to track his movements prior to the operation.
Trump had planned to execute the operation four days earlier, but "the weather was not perfect; the weather has to be perfect." Military leaders waited for a "window of opportunity" when the weather conditions would make it easier.
January 2, 2026: Trump Authorizes the Operation
On Friday, January 2, at 10:46 p.m., Trump gave the final order from Mar-a-Lago: "Go and may God protect you". The president, along with top officials including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, and CIA Director John Ratcliffe, would monitor the operation in real time from an improvised "Situation Room" in his Florida residence.
January 3, 2026: Execution of the Operation
The operation was carried out by the United States' elite Delta Force unit with support from the CIA. The mission was characterized by its surgical precision and the rapid neutralization of Venezuelan defenses.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro stated that Caracas began to be bombarded with missiles and named particularly sensitive points: Fuerte Tiuna, the Federal Legislative Palace, the Mountain Barracks, Hatillo Airport, an N3 F16 base in Barquisimeto, a private airport in Charallave, and the military helicopter base in Higuerote.
General Dan Caine, Chief of the Joint Staff, confirmed that one of the U.S. aircraft was hit during the mission but "remained flight-worthy" and continued to operate until the end. At the time of leaving the country, U.S. forces encountered resistance and there were "multiple self-defense engagements" during the withdrawal.
Trump described that the operation was carried out with "dozens of planes," helicopters, and fighters, in addition to the alleged rapid neutralization of "steel doors" in places deemed "impregnable." He stated that Maduro was "in a stronghold" with "security rooms" and that he was "captured in seconds."
There were no casualties among the participating forces, although there were "some injuries."
Official Announcement and Reactions
President Donald Trump confirmed the capture in a message posted on his Truth Social account, stating that the operation was carried out "successfully and in coordination with U.S. security agencies." Trump added that he would hold a press conference at Mar-a-Lago at 11:00 a.m. (local Florida time) to provide more details.
A few hours after the announcement, Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez confirmed that the Venezuelan government was unaware of the whereabouts of Nicolás Maduro and Cilia Flores, effectively admitting that both were no longer in Venezuelan territory. During a special broadcast, Rodríguez described the situation as "a moment of utmost seriousness for the nation" and denounced "an unprecedented imperial aggression."
The Move to New York
From the USS Iwo Jima to Guantanamo
Trump stated that Maduro and his wife were "on their way to New York," and that they were transported "by helicopter and then to a boat." Maduro and Flores were taken to the amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima, deployed in the Caribbean. From there, they were transferred to the U.S. naval base in Guantánamo, Cuba, allowing the Pentagon to carry out the transfer "more quickly."
Saturday, January 3: Arrival in New York
On the afternoon of Saturday, January 3rd, a military plane carrying Maduro and Flores landed at the Stewart Air National Guard Base in northern New York State.
A circulated video showed the moment Maduro descended from the plane, wearing a long-sleeved blue hoodie, black pants, white socks, and rubber flip-flops. The former president walked handcuffed, with his hands in front, and was escorted by a large group of American officers. "I am famous, famous. All these people know that..." he was heard saying in the video.
Processing in the DEA Offices
From Stewart, Maduro was transferred by helicopter to Manhattan. The helicopter landed at a heliport by the banks of the Hudson River. A caravan of vehicles escorted an armored military van where Maduro was traveling.
The images showed the Chavista leader emerging from the vehicle, limping, dressed in a black coat and matching hat. "Hello, Happy New Year. I am injured," he said, as the agents escorted him toward the federal building.
Maduro was processed at a federal facility linked to the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), where his fingerprints were taken. In videos, he is seen walking through the hallways of the DEA office in New York, still handcuffed, repeating "Happy New Year" in English to the officers who greeted him.
Transfer to the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn
A convoy of police vehicles escorted Maduro from the DEA facility to his final destination: the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) in Brooklyn. The MDC is the only federal jail located in New York City and is known for its high level of security and the presence of high-profile international inmates.
His wife, Cilia Flores, was also transferred to the same prison, where both will remain detained while the judicial process unfolds.
Judicial Charges
Nicolás Maduro faces charges in a federal court for multiple serious crimes:
Narcoterrorism: Accused of leading the Cartel of the Suns and conspiring with the FARC to traffic tons of cocaine to the United States.
Conspiracy to Import Cocaine: Drug Trafficking Operations for Over Two Decades
Offenses related to automatic weapons: Use of firearms in criminal activities
Corruption: Abuse of governmental power to protect illegal activities
Attorney General Pam Bondi stated that Maduro and Flores "have been formally charged in the Southern District of New York" and that "they will soon face the full weight of U.S. justice in U.S. courts and proceedings."
Conclusion
The capture of Nicolás Maduro marks the culmination of a year of unprecedented military, economic, and diplomatic escalation in the Western Hemisphere. From the increase in the bounty in January 2025 to the military operation on January 3, 2026, the Trump administration exerted multidimensional pressure on the Venezuelan regime, combining terrorist designations, a 25% tariff on oil buyers, doubling of bounties, massive deployment of military forces in the Caribbean, a campaign of naval attacks, deployment of the USS Gerald Ford aircraft carrier, total blockade of oil tankers, sanctions on the "ghost fleet," CIA drone strikes within Venezuelan territory, and finally the "Operation Absolute Resolution."
The operation, executed with surgical precision and observed in real time by Trump from Mar-a-Lago, marks an important precedent in the recent history of Latin America. The transfer of Maduro from Caracas to Brooklyn in less than 24 hours closes an extraordinary chapter in the relations between the United States and Venezuela. The implications of this U.S. military intervention will resonate for years throughout Latin America, establishing a controversial precedent on the limits of national sovereignty, the fight against drug trafficking, and the use of military force in the Western Hemisphere.
Note: This timeline has been compiled using primarily information from the coverage of CiberCuba.com. All links in the text lead directly to CiberCuba articles that document the events described.
Filed under: