The capture of Nicolas Maduro
American forces seize a sitting head of state in his own capital.
- When
- Known to
- ± 12 hours
- Era
- Contemporary, Holocene
- Where
- Caracas, Venezuela · 10.4806° N, 66.9036° W
In an operation called Absolute Resolve on 3 January 2026, US special forces supported by more than 150 aircraft captured Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores in Caracas and flew them out to face narco-terrorism charges in New York. Venezuela's interior minister said more than a hundred people were killed; Cuba acknowledged 32 of its nationals died. Vice-President Delcy Rodriguez was sworn in as interim president two days later. No sitting head of state had been seized this way since Noriega in 1989.