US carries out direct regime change operation in Venezuela

The United States on Saturday carried out a direct military operation in Venezuela that resulted in the capture and removal of President Nicolás Maduro, marking one of the most consequential US interventions and regime changes in the western hemisphere in decades and a sharp escalation from years of sanctions, diplomatic pressure, and covert efforts to isolate his government.

- ABHINANDAN MISHRA

Washington described the action as a limited “special military operation”, involving air and special ground assets inside Venezuelan territory. US officials said the operation was aimed at detaining Maduro on longstanding criminal charges filed in US courts and restoring “democratic order” in the country. President Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores would be flown to the US and tried for “narco-terrorism” conspiracy and other related charges, officials said.

While operational details remain contested, the intervention represents a rare instance in which the United States has openly used military force to remove a sitting head of state without a prolonged conflict or an accompanying occupation.

The White House said the action followed years of failed diplomatic initiatives and economic sanctions intended to pressure the Maduro government, which Washington accuses of large-scale corruption, narcotics trafficking, and human rights abuses.

US officials cited federal indictments and “narco-terrorism” allegations against Maduro as part of the legal rationale for the operation.