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World

1 min.Read

Satellite Images Reveal Damage At Venezuelan Base Where US Forces Captured Maduro: Report

By CurrentIndia.com

January 4, 2026

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Satellite images have revealed visible damage at Fuerte Tiuna, Venezuela’s largest military installation, following a dramatic US operation that led to the capture of President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, from the heavily guarded base in Caracas. Maduro and Flores were at their residence inside the Fuerte Tiuna complex when US forces launched what President Donald Trump described as a swift, covert night-time operation. The couple was subsequently taken aboard the USS Iwo Jima before being flown to a US military air base.

Lights Out, Swift US Raid

“This thing was so organised,” Trump said, claiming the operation took place under near-total darkness after US forces disabled much of Caracas’s power supply using what he called “certain expertise.” According to US officials, the raid lasted less than 30 minutes and involved at least 150 aircraft, with troops inserted by helicopters following months of detailed intelligence gathering into Maduro’s daily routine.

The Venezuelan leader and his wife reportedly surrendered without resistance, and no US casualties were reported.

Months Of Intelligence, Serious Charges

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth termed the operation a “massive joint military and law enforcement raid,” while General Dan Caine, the top US military officer, said intelligence had tracked Maduro’s habits down to his meals and pets. Maduro, 63, faces US charges related to an alleged narco-terrorism conspiracy. He has ruled Venezuela for over a decade through elections widely criticised as rigged, succeeding former president Hugo Chávez.

Satellite imagery released by Vantor shows clear changes at Fuerte Tiuna before and after the strikes, with at least seven explosions reported across Caracas during the operation. The capture has triggered sharp international reactions. China, Russia and Iran condemned the action, with Beijing demanding Maduro’s immediate release. Concerns were also raised by US allies including France and the European Union.

In Caracas, Venezuela’s Supreme Court ordered Vice President Delcy Rodríguez, next in the line of succession, to assume charge as interim president. Trump, however, dismissed opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate María Corina Machado as lacking sufficient support to govern.

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