WASHINGTON: U.S. President Donald Trump is set to meet the special operations troops credited with capturing Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro in a dramatic raid earlier this year, the White House has announced.
The visit to Fort Bragg military base in North Carolina on Friday will include First Lady Melania Trump and provide an opportunity for Trump to personally commend the soldiers and their families for their role in what the administration calls Operation Absolute Resolve.
In the staggering early‑morning operation on January 3, elite U.S. forces flew in under cover of darkness and arrested Maduro — bringing him and his wife, Cilia Flores, into U.S. custody.
According to U.S. military officials and multiple sources, the raid involved intensive planning and the participation of highly trained units such as Delta Force supported by overwhelming air and ground assets.
Venezuelan casualties were reported during the strike, but U.S. authorities said no American troops were killed during the mission, according to AFP.
Trump and senior aides have repeatedly framed the capture as a demonstration of U.S. military capability and resolve in protecting national security interests.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump and the first lady will “meet with military families and the heroic members of our special forces who carried out the successful ‘Operation Absolute Resolve’ in Venezuela and helped bring narco‑terrorist Nicolás Maduro to justice.”
Maduro is currently detained in the United States, where he faces federal charges, including drug trafficking and related crimes.
He has pleaded not guilty and awaits further court proceedings, with his next hearing scheduled for March in New York.
Trump publicly praised the raid in speeches and interviews, calling the mission “spectacular” and the forces “unbelievably talented” in their execution.
The president also alluded to a secret device he claims was used to disable Venezuelan equipment, joking that it “discombobulated” enemy systems, though he declined to disclose details.
As the news reverberates globally, Trump’s trip to Fort Bragg underscores his continued focus on military strength and foreign policy achievements ahead of upcoming political and diplomatic engagements.
