FBI Director Kash Patel and U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi released a joint statement laying out the extraordinary, months-long Trump-era law-enforcement and military operation that resulted in the capture of Venezuelan narco-tyrant Nicolás Maduro and his transfer into United States custody.
The statement, posted publicly on X, confirmed that the mission was conducted through close coordination between the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Department of Justice, the Department of War, the Department of State, and the U.S. Intelligence Community, alongside international partners.
Nicolás Maduro was captured on January 3, 2026, during a large-scale U.S. military mission codenamed Operation Absolute Resolve.
The ground raid was executed by the U.S. Army’s Delta Force alongside FBI agents.
Over 150 aircraft from the U.S. Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps provided cover, disabling Venezuelan air defenses and jamming the electrical grid to “turn off the lights” in Caracas.
The operation was directed by President Donald Trump and coordinated by the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Dan Caine.
Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were captured at their residence inside the Fort Tiuna military complex in Caracas. Trump described the location as a “heavily fortified military fortress.”
According to reports, Maduro attempted to reach a solid steel safe room (or “safety space”) but was “bum-rushed” by Delta Force operators before he could close the door.
According to the joint statement, the operation was “a complex law-enforcement mission” requiring “months of coordination, detailed planning, and seamless execution across multiple components of the federal government.”
The Department of War led the effort, with specialized FBI and DEA tactical, aviation, and transport units ensuring the secure capture and transfer of two high-risk defendants.
Read the statement below:
“The Department of Justice, working in close coordination with the Department of War, the Department of State, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Intelligence Community, and our interagency and international partners, successfully executed a complex law-enforcement mission to bring Nicolás Maduro into U.S. custody to face justice.
This operation required months of coordination, detailed planning, and seamless execution across multiple components of the federal government. The Department of War led this remarkable effort. We cannot thank our brave military heroes enough.
Specialized FBI and DEA personnel, including tactical and transport teams, worked alongside DOW and our DOJ attorneys and other DOJ components to ensure the secure movement, control, and transfer of 2 high-risk defendants. All personnel involved acted professionally, decisively, and in strict accordance with U.S. law and established protocols. This was a perfectly executed operation with intensive cooperation and trust among President Trump’s team.
The mission was conducted to support an ongoing criminal prosecution tied to large-scale narcotics trafficking and related offenses that have fueled violence, destabilized the region, and contributed directly to the drug crisis claiming American lives.
The United States pursued every lawful option to resolve this matter peacefully. Those opportunities were repeatedly rejected. The responsibility for this outcome rests solely with those who chose to continue criminal conduct rather than disengage.
This operation reflects the Department of Justice’s unwavering commitment to accountability, the rule of law, and the protection of U.S. national security. We are proud of the federal law-enforcement professionals who carried out this mission and of the partnerships that made it possible. God Bless America and God Bless President Trump.”
Joint Statement from the Department of Justice, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Drug Enforcement Administration
The Department of Justice, working in close coordination with the Department of War, the Department of State, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the…
— Attorney General Pamela Bondi (@AGPamBondi) January 4, 2026
Joint Statement from @FBI, @DEA and @DOJ
The Department of Justice, working in close coordination with the Department of War, the Department of State, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Intelligence Community, and our interagency and…
— FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) January 4, 2026
In a subsequent interview on Fox News, Kash Patel provided rare operational detail, highlighting the role of the FBI’s Critical Incident Response Group (CIRG), including its elite Hostage Rescue Team and specialized aviation units.
Patel explained that the mission, succeeded because “every component of this operation, every link in this chain, was flawlessly executed by the experts in the intelligence community and law enforcement and military sectors.”
He described how FBI Hostage Rescue Team operators embedded with both the insertion force and maritime elements to execute what he repeatedly emphasized was a law-enforcement operation, not a war.
Following the ground seizure, Patel said the FBI assumed responsibility for what is known as a Foreign Transfer of Custody (FTOC), maintaining continuous U.S. law-enforcement control as Maduro was transported via maritime and aviation assets with FBI medics, aviation units, and intelligence partners involved at every stage.
WATCH:
President Trump’s operation in Venezuela was a total team effort and the kind of execution that happens with great leadership in the White House – @FBI was proud to be a part of it embedding our HRT operators and aviation specialists for the entire mission pic.twitter.com/y7a2XSSDzX
— FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) January 5, 2026
The post Kash Patel and Pam Bondi Issues Joint Statement Detailing Trump-Era Operation That Dragged Narco-Tyrant Maduro Into U.S. Custody appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.