Many people waking up in America on Saturday (January 3, 2026) may have felt a feeling of déjà vu. However, the arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores is a reminder of an earlier era of US foreign policy.

At that time, the United States had launched an operation inside a Latin American country at midnight, the purpose of which was to capture the leader of that country under the pretext that he was wanted in American courts on drug charges. The date of this American operation was December 20, 1989, the country was Panama and the wanted person was General Manuel Noriega.

American soldiers detained the couple – Trump

US President Donald Trump announced that in an overnight operation, US troops detained President Maduro and his wife in the Venezuelan capital Caracas and evacuated them safely. The incident occurred after Trump mentioned the extraordinary military operation, which involved US air, ground and naval forces.

The US has made serious allegations against Maduro and his wife regarding drugs and now a case will be filed against them. Maduro was impeached in 2020 on charges of leading a terrorism-narcotics-related campaign, while his wife was included in a new indictment along with four other named Venezuelans.

What did the US Secretary of State say?

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that he does not expect any further action in Venezuela. Trump later said that he was not afraid of the presence of American troops. Whatever happens, as an expert on US-Latin American relations I see the US campaign in Venezuela as a marked change from the recent past.

Removing a foreign leader from power—even if he holds power through questionable electoral means—is a form of ad hoc imperialism and a clear indication of the aggressive policies of the Trump administration. It abandons the diplomatic approach that has been the hallmark of inter-American relations for decades. In fact, since the collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s, the ideological hold on potential spheres of influence in the region has weakened.

Indirect intervention was carried out in South America

Lyndon Johnson had a plan in case the 1964 coup in Brazil failed. optional There was a plan. However, the coup was successful. Richard Nixon weakened the socialist government in Chile from 1970, but he did not plot a coup against President Salvador Allende in 1973.

What will happen to Venezuela after Maduro?

The U.S. detention of Maduro makes clear that the U.S. military’s months-long campaign of attacks on alleged narcotics vessels and oil tankers was always aimed at regime change, not any real reduction in the amount of narcotics reaching U.S. shores.

The biggest concern for many regional governments in Latin America and policy experts in Washington will be whether the White House has considered the consequences of this latest tension.

Trump wants to avoid a war like Iraq

Trump undoubtedly wants to avoid another disaster like the Iraq War and so would want to limit any continued presence of the US military and law enforcement, but typically US forces leading Latin American regime change remain on the ground to install a friendly leader and possibly oversee a stable transition or elections.

This is not possible by forcefully removing Maduro from Caracas. According to Venezuela’s Constitution, their Vice President must take office and Vice President Delcy Rodriguez is demanding proof that her President is alive. He is not an anti-Maduro leader.

America attacks Venezuela

The US launched massive attacks on Venezuela late on Friday (January 2, 2026) and said that the country’s President Nicolas Maduro has been captured and taken out of the country. Maduro and his wife were captured at night from their home near the military base. He is being taken on an American warship to New York, where he was to face criminal charges. US President Donald Trump said on Fox News on Saturday (January 3, 2026) that the US is now assessing further steps for Venezuela.

US President gave statement

US President Donald Trump said the US would temporarily govern Venezuela and exploit its vast oil reserves to sell to other countries. Trump made this comment a few hours after the US military attacked and captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife and took them out of the country.

This action of America is the culmination of months of increasing pressure on oil-rich Venezuela. The attack, the result of months of secret planning, is being seen as the US’s most aggressive action to force regime change since the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

Also read: India On Venezuela: India’s first reaction to the deteriorating situation in Venezuela! Know what was said about Trump and Maduro

The American army destroyed a submarine in the sea itself. President Donald Trump on Saturday (October 18, 2025) claimed on his Truth social platform that the US targeted and destroyed a drug smuggling submarine in the Caribbean Sea. This submarine was allegedly loaded with fentanyl and other drugs and was heading towards America.

Trump said, “It is a matter of pride for me to destroy a very large drug-carrying submarine.” This operation took place on routes that have long been notorious for drug smuggling. He further said that two terrorists were killed and two are being sent back to Ecuador and Colombia. He said that if I had allowed this submarine to come, at least 25 thousand Americans would have been killed.

DESTROYED: Confirmed DRUG-CARRYING SUBMARINE navigating towards the United States on a well-known narcotrafficking transit route.

“Under my watch, the United States of America will not tolerate narcoterrorists trafficking illegal drugs, by land or by sea.” -President Trump pic.twitter.com/N4TAkgPHXN

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) October 18, 2025

Suspects sent back to Ecuador and Colombia

After President Trump’s statement, Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro confirmed that the citizen of his country has been sent back alive. Petro said on social media platform

pic.twitter.com/DkJOa9Uhud

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) October 18, 2025

US military operation decisive attack on drugs network

This incident is part of the US military operation starting in September 2025, the purpose of which is to stop the supply of drugs from Latin America to America. The US military has so far targeted six ships in the Caribbean Sea, most of which were speedboats or semi-submarines. American officials say that this campaign is a decisive attack on the supply chain of drugs. However, America has not yet provided evidence that all those killed were actually drug smugglers.

What do experts say?

International law experts and human rights organizations have raised questions on such killings. Experts say that without clear evidence and judicial process, such military actions can be considered a violation of international law. A security analyst said that even if these men were drug smugglers, they should have been punished through judicial process and not shot at sea.

Where did the submarine come from?

US authorities did not disclose the submarine’s departure point, but experts believe it likely departed from a secret shipyard in Colombia or Venezuela. Such semi-submarines have been used for years to transport cocaine from South America to Central America or Mexico. These submarines are usually hand-built in shipyards hidden in forests, which are capable of escaping radar detection.

Fentanyl and American concern

Fentanyl, an extremely powerful synthetic drug, has become a new epidemic for American society. Millions of deaths due to fentanyl overdose have been recorded in America in the last few years, so the US administration considers it a national security threat. The Trump administration is adopting a zero tolerance policy to control this drug, which also includes direct military action against drug smugglers.

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