Hold onto your hats—Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has been yanked from his Caracas stronghold in a jaw-dropping U.S. military raid that’s set the geopolitical stage on fire.

In a dramatic sequence of events, Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were seized by U.S. Army Delta Force operatives, flown to American territory, escorted by authorities in dramatic fashion, and now face serious drug trafficking charges in New York, as the Daily Mail reports.

This high-stakes operation, green-lit by President Donald Trump, unfolded after meticulous CIA surveillance pinned down the couple’s erratic movements, showcasing American resolve to tackle alleged narco-crime at its source.

Delta Force’s Midnight Raid in Caracas

In the wee hours of Friday night, Delta Force soldiers stormed a compound in Caracas around 2 a.m. local time, catching Maduro and Flores off guard in their bedroom. The raid was part of a broader strike targeting five Venezuelan sites, including three in the capital, authorized by Trump just a day prior on Thursday.

Swiftly extracted to the USS Iwo Jima warship, the couple’s journey to justice began, marking a bold statement against leaders accused of drug cartel ties.

From Puerto Rico to New York Runways

After a stopover in Puerto Rico, footage captured Maduro and Flores being escorted onto a U.S. military aircraft at Ramey Base in Aguadilla for their next leg. Aguadilla’s mayor, Julio Roldan, took to social media, proudly noting the city’s role as the first American jurisdiction to process Maduro, framing it as a geopolitical feather in their cap.

By Saturday afternoon, the couple landed at Stewart Air National Guard Base in upstate New York, with striking images showing Maduro handcuffed, trudging across the runway to another waiting aircraft.

Processed and Detained in Brooklyn

That evening, Maduro and Flores arrived in Manhattan, where they were processed at the Drug Enforcement Administration office under tight security. Now held at Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center—a facility infamous for its dismal conditions and past high-profile inmates—their fall from power couldn’t be more stark.

Trump, speaking from Mar-a-Lago, didn’t hold back, alleging deep ties to the Cartel de los Soles and vowing they’d face American justice head-on.

Trump’s Controversial Plan for Venezuela

“We're going to run the country until as such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition,” Trump declared at his press conference, signaling a contentious U.S. role in Venezuela’s future. His outright dismissal of opposition leader María Corina Machado, a Nobel Peace Prize winner with strong domestic support, as lacking backing raises serious questions about Washington’s blueprint for Caracas.

Let’s not sugarcoat it—overriding a popular figure while playing global governor risks alienating the very people this operation claims to liberate, no matter how justified the cause.

Celebrations Abroad, Anxiety at Home

News of Maduro’s capture sparked jubilation among Venezuelan migrants abroad, with celebrations erupting in cities like Santiago, Chile, as many saw it as a overdue reckoning. Contrast that with Caracas, where the atmosphere is heavy—residents lined up at supermarkets, bracing for economic turmoil amid fears of what’s next.

Adding to the unease, Venezuela’s attorney general claimed innocent lives were lost during explosions in the capital, though specifics remain murky and the U.S. stays mum on casualties.

Trump’s Showmanship Amid Serious Stakes

Trump, ever the dramatist, couldn’t resist a quip during a Fox & Friends call-in, saying, “I mean, I watched it literally like I was watching a television show,” marveling at the operation’s speed and intensity. While his flair for spectacle grabs headlines, one can’t help but wonder if such bravado overshadows the human toll—both in Venezuela’s streets and in the uncertainty of who fills the power vacuum.

An image released by Trump, showing Maduro in a gray tracksuit, clutching a water bottle, and wearing a disorienting eye mask with earmuffs, seems designed to underscore his humiliation.

Charges and Unanswered Questions

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi confirmed Maduro faces drug and weapons trafficking charges first filed years ago during Trump’s initial term, alongside five other Venezuelan officials.

While Flores also faces charges, details remain vague, leaving observers curious about the scope of her alleged involvement compared to longstanding allegations against her husband.

This operation, while a win for those cheering accountability, plants seeds of unease—will U.S. oversight stabilize Venezuela, or simply trade one form of control for another?