In a bold pre-dawn operation on January 3, 2026, U.S. special forces entered Venezuela and captured authoritarian leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife, removing them from Caracas and bringing them into U.S. custody. The move was the culmination of years of legal action, rewards, and intelligence work aimed at holding a narco-criminal regime accountable for trafficking and brutality.
Retired Navy SEAL Mike Sarraille told Fox News Live that the raid showcased the kind of precision and professionalism only our special operators can deliver, saying Americans should be “wildly proud” of the teams who carried out the mission. His praise reflects what conservatives have long said: when given the mission and the backing, our military does not just meet the task — it masters it.
This was not a careless spectacle but a meticulously planned special-operations strike executed under the rubric of operational excellence, a reminder that muscle backed by intelligence can achieve results where mere rhetoric fails. For years Washington talked and punished; this administration acted, and our troops did what they always do: finish the mission.
President Trump publicly announced the success and even posted a photograph confirming Maduro’s capture, underlining that leadership matters when the stakes are national security and the fight against international drug cartels. Conservatives should celebrate decisive leadership that protects Americans and brings violent narco-regimes to heel instead of endless equivocation.
Yes, there is predictable hand-wringing from the global elite and legalists at the United Nations, which has already raised questions about sovereignty and precedent — predictable objections when a corrupt dictator finally answers for his crimes. While international bodies posture, American justice is moving forward and courts will sort the legal questions; the priority must be protecting the homeland and delivering justice for victims of Maduro’s drug and terror networks.
To every hardworking American who cheers for law and order and stands behind our armed forces, remember this moment: it proves that strength, clarity of purpose, and unflinching support for our troops keep our country safe. The left will try to turn this into a legalistic moral panic, but patriots know the truth — when evil men traffic death toward our towns, we use every tool at our disposal to stop them, and we should be proud of those who did.
