Trump Discusses Capture of Maduro at Fort Bragg

President Donald Trump spoke on Friday about the military’s achievements, particularly the operation that led to the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro. This event took place at Fort Bragg in North Carolina, where Trump also acknowledged the contributions of U.S. special forces and his family.

“It was just minutes before he hopped into a helicopter and left the area. They had to get through a steel door,” Trump explained. “The steel was like papier mache. Do you know what that is? It’s thin and weak.”

U.S. special operations forces apprehended Maduro and his wife on drug-related charges. Trump commended the operation, highlighting that there were no U.S. casualties or damage to military assets in a nation heavily secured by Maduro’s forces.

State Department’s Diplomatic Engagement with Venezuela

The State Department confirmed that a limited number of staff are working in Caracas to re-establish diplomatic relations with Venezuela.

“They blew through every door,” Trump continued, detailing the swift nature of the operation. “They got to him before he reached the big safe. He wouldn’t have succeeded anyway, as they had the right equipment to handle it in minutes, but he never got that far. It was all very fast.”

According to Trump, the mission was “precise” and “remarkable.” He reflected, “Just think about it—within minutes, people were realizing what had happened, and they looked up to see helicopters returning to their carrier. That night, the world witnessed the might of the U.S. military. It was a fantastic operation, though a small one.”

Maduro’s Legal Troubles in the U.S.

Maduro was subsequently flown to the United States, where he faces serious federal charges including conspiracy to engage in narco-terrorism and cocaine trafficking. He is currently held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in New York City.

During the visit to North Carolina, First Lady Melania Trump was by the president’s side, and he joked about possibly relocating there in the future, expressing his fondness for the area. “Maybe I’ll move here with one of our great movie stars,” he said, referencing Melania’s documentary, adding a light-hearted note about their potential new life at Fort Bragg.