Trump to Meet Special Forces Behind Maduro Capture

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Washington: President Donald Trump is scheduled to meet Friday with the special forces soldiers credited with capturing Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro in a high-risk military operation earlier this year, the White House announced. The visit to Fort Bragg Military Base in North Carolina will include First Lady Melania Trump and offers an opportunity for the president to honour troops and their families.

The dramatic operation, conducted under the cover of darkness in Caracas on January 3, involved U.S. special forces flying in by helicopter to seize Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores from a fortified compound. Venezuelan officials reported dozens of casualties and injuries as part of the assault.

According to the White House, no American service members were killed in the mission, which officials have labeled “Operation Absolute Resolve.” Press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Mr. Trump and the first lady will meet directly with the troops who carried out the action and with military families stationed at Fort Bragg.

Maduro and Flores are currently detained in the United States, where both face federal charges including drug trafficking, to which they have pleaded not guilty. Their next scheduled court appearance is set for March 17 in New York.

The January raid marked a striking escalation of U.S. involvement in Venezuelan affairs and has drawn global attention. While the Trump administration has framed the action as part of its effort to counter narcotics networks and authoritarian rule, many have questioned its legality under international law.

The Fort Bragg event also comes as President Trump continues to use the high-profile operation to emphasise a robust foreign policy stance ahead of upcoming political contests, highlighting it as a demonstration of American military capability.

Photo Credit:whitehouse.gov