On January 3, US President Donald Trump announced the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, alongside his wife Cilia Flores, from the Miraflores Palace, Caracas.
Trump later posted a picture of Maduro, blindfolded and handcuffed, aboard the amphibious USS Iwo Jima warship as proof of capture.
Maduro was later flown to the naval station Guantanamo, Cuba, and then to Stewart Air National Guard Base, New York.
The move was an escalation of a nearly three-decade frosty relationship between the Latin American nation and the US.
In 1999, Hugo Chavez, Maduro’s predecessor, was elected after campaigning on an anti-US platform, capitalising on widespread Venezuelan anger over economic inequality, corruption, and perceived US dominance in Latin America.
Chavez’s alignment with Fidel Castro, former Cuban president, also boosted his populist appeal. His ploy to rewrite the constitution and to nationalise the oil sector further set Venezuela and the US on a collision course.
Relations thinned out after Chavez strengthened ties with Russia, China, and Iran — longtime US rivals — and expelled US-backed NGOs and diplomats, accusing Washington of destabilisation efforts.
A 48-hour coup that failed to oust Chavez from office intensified the distrust between the Latin American nation and the US as Venezuela accused Washington of supporting the plot. The US denied the allegations.
After Chavez died in 2013, Maduro — his longtime deputy — narrowly won the presidency during polls. His tenure was immediately marked by economic decline, corruption scandals, and worsening relations with the US.
The recent “large-scale strike” in Venezuela arrived on the heels of Trump’s repeated threats of missile strike, following months of deadly US attacks on boats in the Caribbean, which the US president accused of transporting narcotics.
At the time, Maduro said the US military operations were a thinly veiled plot to oust him from power.
The Venezuelan government has called Maduro’s capture an “imperialist attack” and urged citizens to take to the streets.
This timeline highlights key moments in the worsening relationship between Washington and Caracas since the second Trump presidency began.
JANUARY 2025: On January 10, Maduro is sworn in for a third six-year term after disputed elections. The US rejects the outcome, reiterating allegations of election fraud. On the same day, the US offers a reward of up to $25 million for information leading to Maduro’s arrest.
The reward would later be doubled. The department of state also imposes new visa restrictions on Maduro-aligned officials, “who have undermined the electoral process in Venezuela and are responsible for acts of repression”.
Trump is sworn in 10 days later as US president for a second term. During his first term, the US justice department indicted Maduro in a narco-terrorism and cocaine-trafficking conspiracy in which, prosecutors said he helped lead a violent drug cartel that lasted for decades. Maduro condemned the charges, denying any involvement with drug trafficking.
FEBRUARY 2025: The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) terminates the temporary protected status (TPS) that shielded some 600,000 Venezuelans living in the US from deportation. The DHS cited “gang membership” and “adverse effects on US workers”, without evidence, as reasons for the revocation.
A plane carrying 177 Venezuelan migrants, who were held in Guantanamo Bay after being deported from the US, arrives in Venezuela, nearly emptying the naval base of the migrants sent there after Trump’s inauguration.
MARCH 2025: Trump announces a 25-percent tariff on countries that purchase oil or gas from Venezuela.
China, the United States’ main economic rival, is the largest buyer of Venezuelan energy products. The tariff imposition happened during a trade standoff between Beijing and Washington.
AUGUST 2025: US doubles reward for Maduro’s arrest to $50 million, designating him the “global terrorist leader” of the Cartel de los Soles.
SEPTEMBER-NOVEMBER 2025: Tensions peak during this period. Washington launches a maritime “anti-narcotics” campaign in the Caribbean and Pacific with about 35 known strikes against alleged drug smuggling boats killing at least 115 people.
The move forces the United Kingdom to suspend intelligence sharing with the US and sees France accuse America of international law violations.
In the same period, the US sends a fleet of warships to the region, the largest buildup of forces in generations.
Trump later confirms authorising the CIA to conduct covert operations inside Venezuela and mulls carrying out land operations in the country.
Venezuela begins nationwide military drills prompted by US military buildup. Days later, the Ford, America’s most advanced aircraft carrier, arrives in the Caribbean Sea for “Operation Southern Spear”.
DECEMBER 2025: The US seizes an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela over alleged crude oil theft, piracy and other transnational crimes.
MarineTraffic lists Nigeria-based Thomarose Global Ventures Ltd as operator of the vessel, and Marshall Islands–based Triton Navigation Corp as the registered owner.
Venezuela’s government said the seizure was “a blatant theft and an act of international piracy”.
JANUARY 2026: Maduro says Venezuela is open to negotiating an agreement with the US to combat drug trafficking. He reiterates that the US wants to force a government change in Venezuela and gain access to its vast oil reserves.
Days later, Maduro is captured.
Trump says the US will “run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition”.
Maduro remains in a New York detention centre where he is being questioned over alleged “drug-trafficking” charges.
