The Fall of Maduro

The United States launched Operation Absolute Resolve, a coordinated military operation in and around Caracas that resulted in the removal of Venezuelan strongman Nicolás Maduro and his wife from power and into U.S. custody late last night. The action marks one of the most consequential U.S. interventions in the Western Hemisphere in decades.

U.S. officials say the operation followed months of diplomatic pressure, failed negotiations, and Maduro’s refusal to relinquish power after losing the most recent presidential election.

The Legal Context Often Left Out

Maduro is not simply a disputed political figure. He has been formally indicted in the United States on multiple criminal charges, including narco-terrorism, drug trafficking, and corruption. U.S. prosecutors have long alleged that Maduro helped run a criminal enterprise that used drug trafficking to enrich regime elites and destabilize the region.

This indictment framework is central to understanding why U.S. officials describe the operation as law enforcement–driven, not merely political.

Why the U.S. Acted Now

• Maduro refused to concede the last presidential election, which opposition leaders and international observers say he lost by roughly a 2-to-1 margin.

• The Trump administration offered Maduro multiple opportunities to step down peacefully and leave the country. He refused.

• With no negotiated exit and growing instability, the administration moved forward with Operation Absolute Resolve.

President Trump said Maduro and his wife will now face the "full might of American justice." The United States will temporarily oversee Venezuela’s governance to allow for a judicial and constitutional transition of power, emphasizing that the goal is not occupation, but orderly restoration and accountability.

“The Hour of Liberty Has Arrived.” Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado welcomed the move, framing Maduro’s removal as the collapse of an illegitimate regime and called on Venezuela’s institutions and military to respect the will of the people and begin national rebuilding.

The Bigger Picture

Venezuela holds the largest proven oil reserves in the world — yet after more than 25 years of socialist rule, the nation lies in ruins.

• Economic collapse

• Widespread shortages of food and medicine

• Hyperinflation that erased savings

• Over one-third of the population fled the country, creating one of the largest humanitarian migrations in modern history

This is the context behind the moment now unfolding.

Faith Check Perspective

Power sustained by corruption survives only in darkness.

Whether one agrees with the U.S. action or not, this moment underscores a recurring truth:
what is hidden eventually comes into the light. (Luke 8:17)