MollyMcChesney

In the early morning of Jan. 3, the Venezuelan president and his wife were captured in Venezuela’s capital city of Caracas. 

The operation was approved by President Trump and upheld by the indictment against them from 2020 according to the White House. 

Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores were taken from their home by United States Delta Forces and transported to New York City for the legal proceedings in the case. 

In the spring of 2020, Nicolás Maduro, along with other top Venezuelan officials, was charged in New York City, Washington DC and Miami for narco-terrorism, corruption, drug trafficking and other charges for their actions against the United States, reported PBS news. 

These charges were brought against Maduro and his regime nearly six years ago and are focused on the corruption that has occurred during his presidency. 

Along with the charge of narco-terrorism, he was also charged with the use of violence and intimidation by drug traffickers to influence government politics, disrupt anti-drug efforts and achieve political or financial goals. 

Maduro allegedly conspired to use cocaine as a weapon against the people of the United States

Since the beginning of President Trump’s second term, there have been actions against drug cartels, including the Venezuelan street gang Tren de Aragua.Over the past year, U.S. military presence has increased dramatically in the Caribbean. 

In August 2025, the U.S. military deployed guided missile destroyers off the coast of Venezuela. The U.S. military has also conducted strikes on more than 30 alleged drug smuggling boats in the waters near South America.

These strikes have given rise to questions from democratic officials about the lack of evidence pointing to drugs being smuggled into the U.S. Additionally, the operation being carried out without congressional approval has created concern.

In November 2025, with tensions rising, Venezuela’s government launched a mobilization of troops due to the U.S.’s military buildup. 

As a result of this, the U.S. imposed many different sanctions on Venezuela including their oil tankers leading to a tremendous impact on the oil-dependent economy. These sanctions stop oil exports from Venezuela. 

This results in the cutting off of the revenue they gain from these as well as affecting the entire economical state of the nation negatively. 

All of these actions led to large-scale strikes on Caracas and the capture of Maduro and Flores. 

There have been mixed opinions on U.S. relations with Venezuela over the last year. 

Senior Lucy Mendenhall recalls the United States’ history of intervening on foreign nations’ political affairs.” [The U.S.] often [intervenes] in ways that produce unintended and damaging consequences,” Mendenhall said. 

The recent discussions are around the United States’ history of interfering with other nation’s governments and if it is necessary. 

One thing to remember when learning about these incidents is the U.S’s involvement in Iran in 1953, which later caused the rise of an authoritarian regime. Many argue this should be taken into account when considering the recent events in Venezuela.

Other questions include concerns over the true motivations of the operation. The capture of Maduro could possibly mean an end to a long-lived authoritarian regime and liberation for the people of Venezuela. 

On the other hand, Venezuela has large amounts of oil reserves and they “possess over 17 % of the world’s proven oil reserves, more than the United States, which makes it a strategically significant target,” Mendenhall said. 

So, one question people have is why these actions have been taken. This reality cannot be ignored when considering U.S. involvement. Although removing a dictator may appear morally justifiable on the surface, the United States’ interest in Venezuela’s vast oil reserves casts doubt on why exactly the United States is getting involved,” Mendenhall said. 

It is unsure what these actions will bring to the future of Venezuela as people worry about the future government of the nation. This also brings hope for the people of Venezuela who have been living under the Maduro regime.