Following the overnight raid that resulted in the capture of Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth delivered remarks praising the operation’s execution, honoring the courage of American forces, and emphasizing President Donald Trump’s decisive leadership.
Speaking after President Trump’s address to the nation on the morning of January 3, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth delivered an impassioned statement following what he described as a historic American military and law enforcement operation.
“Finally, a commander in chief the world respects and the American people deserve,” Hegseth began. He called the strike “a massive joint military and law enforcement raid, flawlessly executed by the greatest Americans our country has offered.” Hegseth underscored that “American warriors are second to none,” highlighting the valor and skill behind the operation: “What I, what all of us, witnessed last night was sheer guts and grit, gallantry and glory of the American warrior.”
Hegseth praised the mission’s leadership, saying, “I tip my hat to our Chairman Dan ‘Raizin’ Caine and all those Americans who stood watch last night.” According to Hegseth, the operation represented the apex of American capability and commitment. He noted, “No other country on planet Earth — and it’s not even close — could pull this kind of operation off, and no other president has ever shown this kind of leadership, courage, and resolve. The most powerful combination the world has ever seen.”
The raid occurred as part of a broader effort to dismantle the leadership of the Cartel de los Soles, a transnational drug trafficking network allegedly headed by Maduro and top Venezuelan officials. Attorney General Pam Bondi confirmed Saturday morning that Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores have been indicted in the Southern District of New York on charges including narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy, and possession of destructive devices. Bondi announced that they would “soon face the full wrath of American justice on American soil in American courts.”
The precision raid struck key Venezuelan military facilities, including Fuerte Tiuna—long believed to house Maduro’s personal bunker—and La Carlota Air Base in Caracas. United States forces achieved their objectives without any American casualties or equipment loss. President Trump later confirmed that Maduro was captured during “Operation Absolute Resolve” and was being transported aboard the USS Iwo Jima.
Nicolás Maduro on board the USS Iwo Jima (@realDonaldTrump/Truth Social)
In his remarks, Hegseth reinforced the mission’s deterrent impact. “Our adversaries remain on notice. America can project our will anywhere, anytime. The coordination, the stealth, the lethality, the precision—the very long arm of American justice—all on full display in the middle of the night,” he stated.
Maduro’s capture occurs eight years after the Venezuelan National Assembly constitutionally declared Maduro an illegitimate ruler and after over a decade of sham elections, human rights abuses, and drug trafficking.
First indicted in 2020, Maduro is alleged to have used state resources to facilitate drug shipments into the United States, with the Cartel de los Soles playing a central role. The U.S. government had offered a $50 million reward for information leading to his arrest.
Wanted poster for Nicolas Maduro. (State.gov)
In a brief phone interview with The New York Times shortly after announcing the raid, President Trump called the operation “brilliant,” crediting “a lot of good planning and a lot of great, great troops and people.” Later, during a press conference at Mar-a-Lago, he stated, “We’re going to run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper, and judicious transition.”
Hegseth echoed this strategic framing, declaring: “This is about the safety, security, freedom, and prosperity of the American people. This is America First. This is peace through strength, and the United States War Department is proud to help deliver it. Welcome to 2026 and under President Trump, America.”
“Nicholas Maduro had his chance, just like Iran had their chance until they didn’t, and until he didn’t. He f***ed around and he found out. President Trump is deadly serious about stopping the flow of gangs and violence to our country,” Hegseth said, reiterating the administration’s resolve. “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 about reestablishing American deterrence and dominance in the Western Hemisphere.”
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