When America Decides to Act

Trump with senior officials watching the Venezuela operation from Mar-a-Lago.

The United States entered 2026 projecting unmistakable power on the global stage, flexing American military muscle in a way not seen in years. While many readers have followed the headlines out of Venezuela, the speed and scope of recent events warrant closer examination.

What unfolded in early January was not a diplomatic standoff or a slow-burning proxy conflict, but a direct U.S. military operation with sweeping consequences. Operation Absolute Resolve now stands as one of the most consequential foreign policy decisions of the modern era, raising urgent questions about sovereignty, legality, energy security and the future of U.S. engagement in Latin America.

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has long denied allegations that he presided over a narco-state, arguing that Washington manufactured a crisis to justify regime change. Those claims came into sharp focus on Jan. 3, 2026, when U.S. forces captured Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, during a coordinated military operation and transported them to the United States to face federal drug-trafficking charges.

The operation unfolded before dawn with airstrikes across northern Venezuela and a targeted assault on Maduro’s residence in Caracas. The Pentagon described the mission as a law-enforcement action supported by military force, though the scale suggested otherwise. More than 150 U.S. aircraft were involved, military installations were struck, and large sections of Caracas were left without power during the assault.

Hours after the capture, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced that Maduro and Flores had been indicted in the Southern District of New York on charges related to narcoterrorism. The indictment includes allegations of narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy, possession of machine guns and destructive devices, and conspiracy to possess those weapons. Notably, the amended filing does not describe the Cartel of the Suns as a traditional criminal organization, but rather as a corrupt patronage network, aligning with assessments from regional crime experts. Maduro and Flores were arraigned in Manhattan federal court on Jan. 5, where Maduro declared himself a prisoner of war before pleading not guilty. U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein ordered Maduro held pending further proceedings.

Casualties from the operation were significant. At least 57 people were killed, including Venezuelan and Cuban military and security personnel, along with civilians. Seven U.S. soldiers were injured. The Venezuelan government declared a national state of emergency, while Cuba confirmed the deaths of its personnel stationed in the country.

President Donald Trump defended the action as necessary to combat narcotics trafficking and restore stability, asserting inherent constitutional authority to order the mission. Trump initially stated the United States would run Venezuela during a transition, comments later walked back by senior officials who emphasized Washington was not seeking permanent control.

Historically, Operation Absolute Resolve most closely aligns with U.S. interventions in Panama in 1989 and Iraq in 2003, where American forces directly removed a sitting leader through overt military action. Like those cases, Venezuela involved open combat operations, the capture of a head of state and immediate disruption of national governance without a formal declaration of war or a United Nations mandate. Unlike Cold War-era covert actions, this operation was unmistakably public, placing it among the rare instances of explicit U.S.-led regime removal in the modern era.

International reaction was swift and divided. Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez denounced the capture as a kidnapping and was sworn in as acting president, signaling continuity within Venezuela’s governing institutions. Officials at the United Nations and international law experts warned the raid violated the U.N. Charter and Venezuela’s sovereignty, while celebrations erupted among segments of the Venezuelan diaspora.

Beyond geopolitics lies a deep humanitarian reality. Venezuela’s economy and social services were already in freefall, with millions facing food insecurity and limited access to health care. Years of mismanagement and sanctions hollowed out public institutions long before the first American aircraft crossed Venezuelan airspace. The COVID-19 pandemic further compounded the crisis, leaving roughly one-third of the population moderately to severely food insecure.

The Trump administration has acknowledged that access to Venezuela’s vast oil reserves factored into its decision-making, reinforcing skepticism abroad and Maduro’s long-standing claim that Washington’s ultimate objective was control rather than justice. Venezuela owes an estimated $150 billion to $170 billion in external debt, much of it held by international investors, including U.S. institutions, though not directly by the U.S. government. In 2024, Venezuela generated roughly $17.5 billion in oil export revenue, far below historic norms due to decaying infrastructure, sanctions and inefficient refining. Much of its oil trade flows to China through barter-style arrangements rather than cash transactions.

President Trump has made his position unmistakably clear: actions that harm Americans or threaten American lives will not be ignored. Disrupting a major narcotics pipeline may ultimately save lives, even as it raises difficult legal and moral questions. Whether Operation Absolute Resolve represents justice, overreach or necessity is for the public to decide. History will determine whether the outcome delivers fewer dangerous drugs entering the United States, meaningful economic change for both nations and lasting stability for the Venezuelan people.