Congressman Aderholt applauds decisive U.S. Action in Venezuela to topple Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro

January 3, 2026 - HALEYVILLE – Congressman Robert Aderholt (R-AL04) released a statement following operations overnight by U.S. military and law enforcement assets to capture and arrest Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro. The U.S. says that it plans to hold him accountable for his role in narco-terrorism and related crimes impacting the United States and its citizens.

"Nicolás Maduro has faced narco-terrorism charges in the United States for half a decade now, and it's time he face those charges head-on in a U.S. courtroom," said Rep. Aderholt. "I applaud President Trump for carrying out his duties to ensure Maduro and his wife are brought to justice. Anyone who kills thousands of American lives as Maduro has done, should be held accountable."

Congressman Aderholt emphasized the need for continued American leadership in combating international criminal networks and holding authoritarian regimes accountable when their actions threaten U.S. national security and the safety of American families.

"America cannot turn a blind eye when foreign regimes enable the flow of deadly narcotics and partner with criminal organizations that destabilize our hemisphere," Aderholt added. "Justice must be pursued, and accountability must be real."

On Friday, President Trump made the decision to implement a plan to capture Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro after months of rising tensions and failed diplomacy.

The mission was named "Operation Absolute Resolve." Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine said that the Pentagon and the intelligence community had been conducting months of planning and rehearsals for this mission if diplomacy failed.

The U.S. intelligence community has been tracking Maduro for months to "understand how he moved, where he lived, where he traveled, where he ate, what he wore," Caine said at a Saturday morning press conference alongside Trump.

The CIA has had operatives on the ground in Venezuela since August.

The CIA also had an asset within the Venezuelan government that helped the U.S. track Maduro/

U.S. armed forces were ready to carry out this mission since December but were waiting for "a series of aligned events."

"Weather in Venezuela is always a factor this time of the year," General Caine said. "Over the weeks of Christmas and New Year's, the men and women of the United States military sat ready, patiently waiting for the right triggers to be met and the president to order us into action."

Over 150 U.S. aircraft participated in the mission. They came from 20 different bases and naval ships.

The U.S. extraction force included law enforcement officers. They flew in on helicopters. U.S. Space Command, U.S. Cyber Command and other commands cleared out any possible early detection efforts from the Venezuelan armed forces,]

F-22s, F-18s, F-35s, E/A-18s, E-2s, B-1 bombers and remotely piloted drones provided air cover and struck Venezuela's air defense systems.

The U.S. was able to maintain complete surprise.

Trump watched a livestream of the operation from Mar-a-Lago.

The troops were fired upon and one of the helicopters was hit but was still able to fly.

The Delta Force was accompanied by FBI agents as stormed Maduro's fortresslike home.

"They just broke in, and they broke into places that were not really able to be broke into, you know, steel doors that were put there for just this reason," Trump said. "They got taken out in a matter of seconds."

Maduro tried to reach his safe room but was intercepted before he could.

They apprehended Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores.

Venezuelan forces attempted to thwart the extraction but were defeated by U.S. Special Forces and their air assets flying cover.

Maduro and his wife were flown to the USS Iwo Jima, the Navy's Wasp-class amphibious assault ship.

"We think we develop, we train, we rehearse, we debrief, we rehearse again and again, not to get it right, but to ensure that we cannot get it wrong," Caine said.

Trump said that Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, will "run" Venezuela until a new Venezuelan government is in place.

Trump did not rule out putting U.S. troops on the ground in Venezuela.

"We're not afraid of boots on the ground if we have to," said Trump. "We're gonna make sure that that country is run properly."

U.S. forces remain in the region. Maduro has been flown to New York state for

(Original reporting by Fox News and The Hill contributed to this report.)

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