Trump to hold talks with elite forces involved in pursuit of Venezuela’s Maduro

United States President Donald Trump is scheduled to meet on Friday with special forces troops involved in the operation that led to the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro during a deadly raid in Caracas in January.

The White House said the president will be joined by First Lady Melania Trump as they travel to Fort Bragg to greet the soldiers.
According to US officials, the operation involved helicopters arriving under the cover of darkness and the seizure of Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, from a heavily guarded compound in the Venezuelan capital on January 3.

Venezuelan authorities said the assault, which began with US air strikes on military targets, left 83 people dead and more than 112 injured. No US troops were reported killed.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the president and first lady would also meet with military families and commend members of the special forces who carried out what the administration calls “Operation Absolute Resolve,” describing Maduro as a narco-terrorist brought to justice.

Maduro is currently being held in the United States, where he faces charges including drug trafficking. He has pleaded not guilty, and his next court appearance is set for March 17 in New York. Trump has approved former vice president Delcy Rodríguez to replace Maduro, contingent on meeting US demands related to oil access and easing state repression.

The president has repeatedly cited the operation as a demonstration of US military power and Washington’s influence in the region. Speaking at a rally in Iowa in January, Trump praised the mission as “spectacular” and credited what he called an exceptionally skilled and patriotic team.

Trump has also alluded to the use of a secret weapon, which he referred to as a “discombobulator,” claiming it disabled Venezuelan equipment during the operation. In a recent interview with NBC News, he declined to provide details, saying only that it rendered opposing equipment inoperable.