Donald Trump · Republican · Military Action
Caribbean Military Campaign Against Venezuela & Capture of Maduro
Sep 2, 2025
Donald TrumpForeign PolicyMilitary ActionSecond term (2025–)
📜 View the official record on federalregister.gov
What happened
Beginning September 2, 2025, the U.S. conducted dozens of military strikes on alleged drug-smuggling boats in the Caribbean and Pacific. In January 2026, U.S. commandos captured Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro to face U.S. drug charges.
How it happened
Presidential authorization of maritime strikes and covert CIA operations, escalating to a special-forces operation in Caracas.
Documented impact
Positive impactcontested
Administration framed it as a counter-narcotics and national-security campaign.
Officials said the strikes targeted drug traffickers and that removing Maduro served U.S. interests.
Negative impactsubstantiated
Strikes killed ~115 people with disputed legality.
By the end of 2025, ~35 strikes had killed ~115 people; legal experts and some lawmakers questioned extrajudicial killings in international waters without due process or congressional authorization.
Sources
Every claim above links to its source. Primary record and cited reporting: