In a dramatic overnight military operation, United States forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, a move top American officials hailed as a decisive victory for national security and a cornerstone of the "America First" doctrine.
A Press Conference at Mar-a-Lago
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth addressed the media on Saturday from Mar-a-Lago, delivering a series of assertive statements celebrating the mission's success. He framed the action as essential for American safety and prosperity. "This is about the safety, security, freedom and prosperity of the American people," Hegseth declared. "This is America First. This is peace through strength. And the United States War Department is proud to help deliver it. Welcome to 2026."
He directly credited the sitting president for the strategic shift, stating, "And under President Trump, America is back." The operation also resulted in the capture of Maduro's wife, Cilia Flores. Both are expected to be transported to New York, where the U.S. Department of Justice has indicted Maduro on charges of narco-terrorism and drug trafficking.
Justification and Contradictory Claims
The Trump administration has long accused the Maduro regime of trafficking deadly narcotics, including fentanyl, into the United States. Military actions against alleged drug trafficking vessels in the Caribbean since September have reportedly led to dozens of fatalities.
Hegseth passionately championed President Trump's "deadly serious" commitment to the mission. "President Trump is deadly serious about stopping the flow of gangs, of violence to our country, deadly serious about stopping the flow of drugs and poison to our people, deadly serious about getting back the oil that was stolen from us and deadly serious re-establishing American deterrence and dominance in the Western Hemisphere," he stated.
However, the defense secretary's claim that the conflict is fundamentally about "freedom and prosperity" was starkly contrasted by Trump's own previous comments regarding Venezuela's vast oil reserves. The former president has boasted that America's "greatest oil companies" would be "very much involved" in the future of the largest proven oil reserves on Earth.
"F-A-F-O": A Recurring Warning
Hegseth used the platform to reiterate a blunt phrase that has become a signature warning to U.S. adversaries. "Nicolás Maduro had his chance, just like Iran had their chance, until they didn't and until he didn't. He effed around, and he found out," he said.
This was not the first time the defense secretary employed this rhetoric. During an address to top military leaders in September, Hegseth looked directly into the camera and stated, "To our enemies, F-A-F-O," an acronym for the same phrase. The quip was met with silence at the time.
The administration's press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, reinforced this message on Saturday by sharing a clip from October of Trump warning that Maduro does not "want to fuck around" with the United States.
The capture of a sitting head of state marks an unprecedented escalation in Western Hemisphere relations and sets the stage for a complex legal and geopolitical aftermath. The operation underscores the Trump administration's willingness to employ direct military force to combat transnational crime and assert American influence, a policy it directly links to domestic security and economic interests.
