In a bold and covert operation, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro was apprehended by the United States Army’s elite Delta Force. This high-stakes mission took place at his heavily guarded compound, marking a significant moment in U.S.-Venezuela relations.

According to reports from CBS News, the ultra-elite Delta Force was responsible for capturing Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, during the early hours of Saturday morning. This operation was executed with precision, aiming to minimize collateral damage and ensure the couple’s swift removal from Venezuela.

As detailed by CNN, the dramatic raid saw US forces entering the couple’s bedroom under the cloak of darkness, catching them off guard while they slept. Remarkably, the operation was carried out without any reported casualties among US personnel.

Once secured, Maduro and Flores were airlifted from Caracas by helicopter, a move facilitated by intelligence gathered by CIA operatives. The final go-ahead for this high-profile capture came directly from President Donald Trump, just 48 hours before the operation was set in motion.

President Trump has accused Maduro’s regime of orchestrating a widespread drug trafficking scheme aimed at inundating the United States with illegal narcotics. With their capture, Maduro and Flores are set to face trial in the U.S. on charges related to drug and weapons trafficking, a legal battle that could reshape both countries’ futures.

Maduro was previously indicted in 2020, during Trump’s first term as president, on charges of importing cocaine into the US.

Further details are expected at a press conference set to be held at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago country club in Palm Beach, Florida, on Saturday morning.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and wife Cilia were both seized by a US military unit in the early hours of Caracas, with Maduro now set to face drugs and gun charges in the United States  

Smoke rises from La Carlota Airport in Caracas, Venezuela, after a daring dead-of-night mission by the US Army’s Delta Force unit to capture the country’s president Nicolas Maduro on drugs charges 

An explosion rocks Caracas in the early hours of Saturday morning during a US military operation which resulted in the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro  

Maduro’s top lieutenants have demanded ‘proof of life’ for their missing leader, suggesting they fear he may have been killed in the raid.

The country’s attorney general Tarek Saab added that ‘innocents’ had been ‘mortally-wounded’ during the US operation – but no further details were shared.

Congressional leaders were notified about the operation just after it was ignited, per CBS sources. 

Delta Force, whose full title is the 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment–Delta, is one of the United States’s most elite military units.

Its members – whose identities remain a secret – are tasked with carrying out the most dangerous missions on behalf of the US Army. 

Delta Force’s most famous operations include an October 2019 raid on the Syrian compound of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, which resulted in his death.

Delta operators refer to themselves as ‘the Unit’ and are an elite counterterrorism unit.

The Unit is known for dismantling major terrorist networks and targets and works closely with the CIA. 

Based at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, the unit operates under the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC), which oversees special mission units. 

President of Venezuela Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores hold hands and pose for photos after the swear-in ceremony at Palacio Federal Legislativo on January 10, 2025 in Caracas, Venezuela

A military vehicle destroyed by Saturday’s strikes in Venezuela is seen burned-out as dawn breaks in Caracas on Saturday morning

Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro, second left, and his wife Cilia Flores, attend an Army Day celebrations at Fuerte Tiuna, in Caracas, Venezuela

The US Army Special Operations Command (USASOC) is responsible for the unit’s personnel management and administration.

Operators are also known to provide security for US leaders during their travels to dangerous or war-affected areas, per Military.com.

Delta Force has about 2,000 soldiers organized into seven squadrons, four of which are assault squadrons, per Britannica.

Each squadron is made up of three troops: Two troops conduct assaults and the third conducts reconnaissance and sniping.

Founded in 1977 by Col. Charles Beckwith, he was inspired by the British Army’s 22nd Special Air Service (SAS) Regiment, their highly classified counter-terrorism unit.

Beckwith believed the US needed an SAS equivalent because of the rise in terrorism, leading to it’s establishment.

Developing story, check back for updates…