Trump Posts Image of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro Blindfolded and Handcuffed on U.S. War Ship
Donald Trump in December 2025, Nicolás Maduro after his capture.
Credit :
Anna Moneymaker/Getty; Donald J. Trump/truthsocial
### President Trump Shares Photo of Captured Nicolás Maduro
On January 3, President Donald Trump posted an image on Truth Social that reportedly depicts captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. The announcement follows an operation carried out by U.S. military forces that aimed to dismantle Maduro’s presidency. Alongside him, first lady Cilia Flores was also detained during the nighttime operation. Both officials are currently en route to New York on the USS Iwo Jima.
In his post, Trump shared the unverified photo showing Maduro, 63, wearing large glasses and headphones intended to restrict his vision and hearing. The caption read, “Nicolas Maduro on board the USS Iwo Jima.”
Reports indicate that Maduro and Flores, 69, were taken aboard the U.S. Navy ship following a significant military strike targeting Maduro’s regime. Trump has previously accused Maduro of drug trafficking and contributing to a migration crisis into the United States, claims that Maduro has consistently denied since assuming the presidency in 2013.
A photo that President Donald Trump posted, purporting to show Nicolás Maduro on USS Iwo Jima after his capture.
Donald J. Trump/truthsocial
Earlier statements by Trump confirmed the initiation of “large-scale strikes” in Venezuela and addressed the capture of both Maduro and Flores. According to various sources including CBS News and the BBC, the strikes targeted several significant military sites, including Fuerte Tiuna and La Carlota, as well as other strategic locations.
Trump recounted that during the strikes, Maduro attempted to retreat to a safe room but was unable to secure the door before being apprehended by U.S. special forces. “But he was trying to get to a safe place, which wasn’t safe, because we would have had the door blown up in about 47 seconds,” Trump explained during a press conference.
Following the successful operation, Trump indicated that the U.S. would now oversee the governance of Venezuela, boasting about the achievement. “No nation in the world could achieve what America achieved, successfully capturing Maduro in the dead of night,” he said, expressing intentions to revive the country’s oil industry.
The Venezuelan government condemned the military strikes, labeling them an attempt to seize the nation’s resources and undermine its sovereignty. In response, the administration has called for a full activation of national defense plans to mobilize against what it describes as an “imperialist attack.”
As U.S. military actions continue, reports suggest that over 110 individuals have lost their lives since the strikes began, and the U.S. has seized multiple sanctioned oil tankers during operations targeting drug trafficking in the region.
