President Donald Trump announced Saturday that Venezuelan strongman Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were captured by U.S. forces following a large-scale military operation aimed at dismantling what the administration described as a narco-terrorist regime threatening American security.

The operation, named Operation Absolute Resolve, involved approximately 150 U.S. aircraft and lasted just under two and a half hours, according to senior defense officials. Targeted strikes began around 2 a.m. local time near Caracas and focused on key military and transportation infrastructure.

U.S. forces struck the Generalissimo Francisco de Miranda Air Base, Port of La Guaira, Higuerote Airport, and the Fuerte Tiuna military complex, Venezuela’s largest defense installation. Explosions lit up the capital’s skyline as plumes of smoke rose across multiple districts.

Maduro, 63, and Flores, 69, were seized just outside reinforced steel doors at the Fuerte Tiuna compound. President Trump said U.S. troops breached the facility within seconds, overwhelming remaining security forces.

At a press conference later Saturday, Trump said Maduro had led a vast criminal enterprise responsible for funneling massive quantities of illegal drugs into the United States. He said the capture marked the end of a regime that operated with impunity for decades.

Trump confirmed that both Maduro and Flores were transported to U.S. soil and would face federal charges in New York. He said the couple would stand trial under American law for narcotics trafficking and related offenses.

The Department of Justice has accused Maduro of partnering with international drug cartels and narco-terrorist groups to ship hundreds of tons of cocaine into the United States through air and maritime routes.

According to the indictment, Maduro used state power to shield traffickers, weaponize government agencies, and profit personally from illicit trade while Venezuelans endured economic collapse and political repression.

Trump said the United States would oversee Venezuela’s governance temporarily to prevent another authoritarian takeover. He described the arrangement as a controlled transition until a stable government could be established.

The president emphasized that no long-term U.S. troop presence would remain in the country as long as interim authorities cooperated with Washington’s conditions.

U.S. officials said no American service members were killed during the operation, though several were injured. Venezuelan officials claimed civilian casualties, though those figures could not be independently verified.

Footage from Caracas showed damaged buildings and fires near military installations. Residents reported panic buying and sporadic unrest as news of Maduro’s capture spread.

Venezuelan opposition figures hailed the arrest as a turning point. Nobel Peace Prize winner María Corina Machado called the operation the moment freedom arrived for the country.

Machado said she and exiled opposition leader Edmundo González were prepared to assume leadership roles during a transition period. González previously defeated Maduro in the 2024 election, results the regime ignored.

The Trump administration had recognized González as Venezuela’s legitimate leader after international observers raised concerns over Maduro’s refusal to step down.

Vice President Delcy Rodríguez briefly claimed authority following Maduro’s removal but later issued statements signaling willingness to cooperate with U.S. demands.

Trump rejected calls to immediately install Machado, saying she lacked sufficient domestic support to stabilize the country.

Maduro arrived in New York Saturday evening and was transferred to federal custody in Brooklyn. Video released by the White House showed him escorted by federal agents upon arrival.

Crowds gathered outside the Metropolitan Detention Center, including members of the Venezuelan diaspora celebrating what they described as long-overdue justice.

One Venezuelan expatriate told reporters he hoped to return home for the first time in years now that the regime had fallen.

International reaction was divided. Leaders from Colombia and Cuba condemned the strikes, accusing the United States of violating international law.

The Venezuelan government issued a statement accusing Washington of attempting to seize the nation’s oil and mineral resources, a claim U.S. officials rejected.

Trump said the operation was necessary to protect Americans from drug trafficking and criminal gangs tied to Maduro’s government.

He also warned neighboring countries against aiding remaining elements of the regime, signaling that the administration would not tolerate regional interference.

Defense officials said Operation Absolute Resolve had been planned for months and delayed only by weather conditions that previously limited visibility.

BREAKING: Anna Paulina Luna Claims The Biden DOJ DESTROYED…

Representative Anna Paulina Luna has leveled explosive information against the Biden Department of Justice, claiming that critical materials related to the Jeffrey Epstein investigation have been deliberately destroyed.

Luna, who chairs a congressional task force focused on federal transparency, has stated unequivocally that she possesses evidence implicating high-ranking officials in the DOJ.

She introduced legislation titled the SHRED Act, aimed at imposing severe penalties on government agents who destroy or conceal federal records. The proposed bill calls for 20 years to life in prison for anyone caught eliminating evidence in cases of national significance.

“Even if they are conducting a criminal investigation, you should probably pick up the phone and call us,” Luna told Fox News. “We have been more than patient.”

These developments come amid growing conservative suspicion that the Biden administration has no interest in unmasking Epstein’s full network. The notion that key records could be gone forever only intensifies fears that justice is being buried under a bureaucratic rug.

Luna’s office has reportedly sent multiple requests to the Department of Justice demanding clarity on the handling of Epstein-related materials. So far, those inquiries have been met with either vague responses or complete silence.

The congresswoman did not mince words in her public statements, suggesting that the DOJ’s behavior constitutes a deliberate act of obstruction. If true, such actions could violate federal law and trigger an entirely new legal battle.

“The Biden DOJ has obstructed Congress, ignored subpoenas, and now appears to have destroyed critical evidence,” Luna said. “This is corruption at the highest level.”

Critics argue that this is yet another example of double standards in Washington. “Had this been a Republican-led DOJ accused of destroying documents in a child sex trafficking case, the media would be apoplectic,” one conservative commentator noted.

For years, the Epstein case has symbolized the deep rot within America’s elite circles. The financier’s suspicious death in prison and the subsequent lack of high-profile indictments have fueled accusations of a widespread cover-up.

Now, Luna’s allegations breathe new life into those concerns. If records were indeed destroyed, the implications are profound. It would mean that the DOJ, under Biden, actively shielded criminals from justice.

What’s more troubling is that these destroyed materials could have named prominent individuals—politicians, celebrities, and global financiers—who participated in or enabled Epstein’s crimes.

In this context, Luna’s SHRED Act isn’t just legislative symbolism. It is a clarion call for accountability in an era marked by elite impunity. Her bill seeks to ensure that future officials think twice before erasing truth from the historical record.

Despite Luna’s repeated calls for transparency, there has been no formal response from Attorney General Merrick Garland. The silence speaks volumes to many who believe the DOJ is stonewalling on purpose.

Meanwhile, conservative lawmakers have rallied behind Luna. A growing number of Republicans in the House and Senate are voicing support for investigations into the DOJ’s handling of Epstein evidence.

Some have even floated the idea of appointing a special counsel to probe the matter independently. Given the stakes, such a move may be the only path forward to restore public confidence.

This latest scandal further erodes the credibility of an already battered Department of Justice. From the Hunter Biden laptop fiasco to the political targeting of conservatives, the agency has been repeatedly accused of partisanship.

Now, with Epstein documents allegedly destroyed, the DOJ’s credibility is in tatters. Public trust, once broken, is hard to rebuild.

The American people deserve the truth. And if Luna’s allegations are accurate, they deserve justice, no matter how high the guilty parties sit.

BREAKING: Tom Homan Reveals an Investigation is Underway Into AOC For…