Mock house, CIA source and Special Forces: The US operation to capture Maduro

A photograph which U.S. President Donald Trump posted on his Truth Social account shows what he describes as Venezuelan President "Nicolas Maduro on board the USS Iwo Jima" amphibious assault ship, currently in the Caribbean Sea January 3, 2026. The image appears to be taken from a printed photograph, as white edging can be seen around the image. What appears to be the letters DEA can be seen on a black uniformed person next to Venezuelan president Maduro. U.S. president Trump said DEA officials were involved in the operation. Verifying the location was not immediately possible as the photograph is tightly cropped. But the patterning of grey hairs within Maduro's mustache matched recent imagery of him. @realDonaldTrump/Handout via REUTERS

WASHINGTON, Jan 3 (Reuters) - At ‌4:21 on Saturday morning, President Donald Trump sent a message on his Truth Social platform: the United States had carried out a daring mission to capture Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his ‌wife.

The action came as a surprise, but according to sources familiar with the matter, planning for one of the most complex U.S. operations in recent memory had been in the works ‌for months and included detailed rehearsals.