Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro was captured by US special forces during a late-night raid on Saturday and brought to New York City to face drug trafficking charges. Months before his arrest, the 63-year-old leader had dared US President Donald Trump to "come (to the presidential palace Miraflores) and get him".
"Come get me. I will wait for him here in Miraflores. Don't be late, coward," he said in a fiery speech in August after the US increased the reward for information leading to his arrest.
The White House on Sunday mocked Maduro in a video on X.
The video showed a montage of Maduro taunting the US and footage of the raid to capture the Venezuelan leader and his wife, Cilia Flores.
Nicolas Maduro had his chance — until he didn't.
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) January 4, 2026
The Trump Admin will always defend American citizens against all threats, foreign and domestic. 🇺🇸🦅 pic.twitter.com/eov3GbBXf4
The 61-second clip also featured scenes from Trump's press briefing on the Venezuela strikes, during which the US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said that Maduro "had his chance - until he didn't".
"He f****d around and found out," Hegseth was heard saying in the video, which has now gone viral.
Maduro and his wife were captured during a surprise attack by special US forces on the Venezuelan capital, Caracas, early Saturday (local time). They were reportedly sleeping inside their residence at Caracas' high-security Ft Tiuna military compound during the pre-dawn raid.
They have been charged with "narco-terrorism," importing tons of cocaine into the United States, and possession of illegal weapons. The couple is currently being kept at a Metropolitan Detention Centre in Brooklyn.
How Nicolas Maduro Was Captured
Nicolas Maduro was captured after Donald Trump launched "Operation Absolute Resolve", involving the elite US troops, including the Army's Delta Force. The team reportedly took about 30 minutes to arrest the Venezuelan leader.
Maduro was reportedly dragged into custody while he was trying to flee to his steel-enforced safe room.
US intelligence agents were secretly monitoring Maduro's every movement since August, according to multiple media reports.
"How he moved, where he lived, where he traveled, what he ate, what he wore -- what were his pets," Joint Chiefs Chairman General Dan Caine said Saturday as he described the surveillance.
The mission also involved months of "pinpoint" planning and rehearsal.
Donald Trump said American forces built a replica house identical to the one where Maduro was staying.
He said he watched the climax of the operation on a live feed.
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) January 3, 2026
"I watched it, literally, like I was watching a television show," he told Fox and Friends, describing Maduro's compound as "a fortress".
Why US Attacked Venezuela
Donald Trump had for weeks threatened ground strikes on drug cartels in Venezuela. He also deployed a huge naval and aerial presence in the Caribbean, including the US' most advanced aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R Ford.
He accused Nicolas Maduro of heading a drug cartel. He also cited illegal migration and the country's oil industry for the aggressive policy toward Venezuela.
Maduro denied any involvement in the narcotics trade, saying the US is seeking to overthrow him because Venezuela has the largest known reserves of oil on Earth.
Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world
