The US military, under Operation Absolute Resolve, captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, on January 3, bringing them to New York to face charges. The Trump administration labeled Maduro a "narco-terrorist." The operation involved extensive CIA intelligence gathering and a Caribbean military buildup, including strikes on alleged drug boats. While justified by the US as an anti-drug trafficking measure, the article questions Venezuela's role in the drug trade and notes Trump's conflicting statements on foreign intervention versus his intent to run Venezuela and rebuild its oil infrastructure.