A Breakdown of Operation Absolute Resolve

*This article is based on factual information, but reflects the authors personal opinions.*

Venezuela's President, Nicolas Maduro, was captured by U.S. Forces on January 3, 2026. 

The abduction of Maduro took place after many U.S. strikes on alleged Venezuelan drug boats, which occurred mainly from October 2025 to January 2026, though more strikes had occurred before those dates. According to the Republican Administration, there have been at least 35 strikes against allergen drug boats in South America since September 2025, and at least 115 people have died in these attacks. The White House stated that the U.S. was in an “armed conflict” to stop drugs and narcotics from entering the country. 

It must be said that Maduro was not a good leader for the people of Venezuela. Though Maduro claimed to have won the 2024 presidential election, taking the office for the third consecutive term, international observers and his opposition claimed mass fraud. The government-led National Electoral Council announced that Maduro won the election without allowing for an audit or releasing polling data. Ignoring the election controversy, Maduro was widely considered a dictator worldwide. He has been accused of many human rights violations, including, but not limited to, political persecution, censorship, and unjustified killings. These acts have led millions of Venezuelans to flee to other South American and Central American countries. Additionally, his economic policies have led to mass inflation, food shortages, and starvation. His rule over the South American country was so tyrannical that many citizens celebrated after his capture by the U.S. in early January of this year.

The actual seizure of Maduro happened in Caracas on January 3rd, and was referred to as “Operation Absolute Resolve.” The operation occurred after a few coastal drone strikes and alleged F-18 flyovers above Venezuelan soil. Early in the morning on the day of Maduro’s capture, U.S. forces entered the country swiftly, extracting Maduro and his wife, Celia Flores, without any U.S. casualties. The two were then flown out of the country and taken to New York’s Metropolitan Detention Center, where he will be held until his sentencing. Maduro is accused of leading “a corrupt, illegitimate government that, for decades, has leveraged government power to protect and promote illegal activity.” The White House has said that the operation was an attack on a “narco-terrorist” regime, though the whole operation was executed without Congress’s approval. U.S. President and FIFA Peace Prize winner Donald Trump said the U.S. would temporarily “run” Venezuela in the interim, but no long-term plans have been revealed. According to Trump, Venezuela is now “rich and safe again.”

Many people suspect that the attack was heavily influenced by Venezuela’s oil and mineral reserves. Venezuela boasts the world’s highest oil reserves, containing over 300 million barrels (followed by Saudi Arabia, Iran, Canada, and Iraq). Venezuela also has complex, diverse mineral reserves, containing deposits of gold, diamonds, iron ore, copper, and nickel. These resources could definitely have made seizure of the country and its assets seem much more appealing than just getting rid of a corrupt leader, which the world sadly has a surplus of. In the meantime, the United States has taken control of the country’s oil. “We’re going to be using oil, and we’re going to be taking oil,” said President Trump.

After the coup, the United Nations Security Council held an emergency assembly to address the situation. In said meeting, many nations considered the actions performed by the U.S. to be a violation of international law, as they believed that the operation was violating Venezuela’s sovereignty. Other nations argued that the alleged attack was necessary, as the protection of the Venezuelan people had to be the responsibility of somebody during Maduro’s rule.

In short, the United States entered a foreign country, Venezuela, and removed its leader, Nicolas Maduro, and took control of the country’s oil and mineral reserves, all without Congress’s approval. The coup has many people questioning the legitimacy of the operation and the international laws that control sovereignty.