03.01.2026 13:40
January 3 is once again in the spotlight due to a critical operation. Following the U.S. drone strike that killed Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani in Baghdad on January 3, 2020, Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro was captured in a special forces operation on January 3, 2026.
On January 3, the United States conducted a "large-scale operation" in Venezuela, and it was stated that President Nicolás Maduro was taken into custody. U.S. President Donald Trump announced that Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores were "captured and taken out of the country," while the Venezuelan government described the attacks as "military aggression" and declared a national emergency.
6 YEARS AGO ON THE SAME DATE, SOLEIMANI WAS KILLED
On January 3, 2020, the U.S. killed Iranian Revolutionary Guard Quds Force Commander Qassem Soleimani in Baghdad with a drone strike. After 6 years, on the same date, another operation was carried out against Maduro in Venezuela.
TRUMP: MADURO AND HIS WIFE WERE CAPTURED AND TAKEN OUT OF THE COUNTRY
U.S. President Donald Trump stated in a post on his social media account that a "large-scale attack/operation" was carried out in Venezuela and that President Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores were "captured and taken out of the country."
"THE OPERATION WAS CARRIED OUT BY DELTA FORCE"
Reports in the U.S. media indicated that the operation was conducted by Delta Force, an elite unit of the U.S. military, and that explosions were heard in Caracas and various regions of the country during the attacks.
VENEZUELA CONFIRMED
The Venezuelan government confirmed the abduction, stating, "The whereabouts of Maduro, his wife, and his assistant are unknown. We demand proof that these individuals are alive."