Trump Addresses Capture of Maduro

On January 3, 2026, President Trump, alongside Secretary of State Marco Rubio, spoke about the recent capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro during a press conference at Mar-a-Lago. In response to questions about why Congress was not informed beforehand about the military action in Caracas, Rubio explained that legislators were notified immediately after the fact.

“This is not the kind of mission that you can do a Congressional notification on,” Rubio stated, emphasizing that it was a trigger-based operation. Conditions had to be met over several nights as they monitored the situation. “Pre-notifying would have put the entire mission at risk,” he argued.

President Trump added, “Congress has a tendency to leak. If they leaked… it would have turned out differently.” Rubio reiterated the administration’s stance that Maduro isn’t the legitimate leader of Venezuela, noting that the Trump and Biden administrations, as well as multiple other nations, share this view. “He is now a fugitive with a $50 million bounty on his head,” Rubio highlighted.

The Department of Justice had issued the bounty in August for information leading to Maduro’s capture. Trump joked, “We should make sure. Don’t let anybody claim it.” Rubio pointed out that Maduro had acted recklessly, aligning himself with Iran, seizing American oil, and holding U.S. citizens hostage.

“Nicolás Maduro had multiple chances to change his course. He chose to act provocatively instead,” Rubio added, emphasizing the seriousness of the government’s response. “The 47th president of the United States is not a game player.”

Senate Majority Leader John Thune and House Speaker Mike Johnson mentioned they had discussed the operation with officials after it occurred. Thune remarked that Trump’s decisive moves represented an important step toward accountability for Maduro’s alleged drug crimes. He looked forward to further updates once Congress resumed.

Johnson also voiced his support, declaring the military action justified as a means to protect American lives and planned future briefings for Congress next week.

Senator Tom Cotton defended the decision to bypass Congress for notification, stating it’s standard procedure not to inform legislators about law enforcement operations. “Congress isn’t notified when the FBI arrests criminals, nor should it be in this case,” he told Fox News.