FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
January 3, 2026
Contact: press@defensepriorities.org
WASHINGTON, DC—Early this morning, President Trump announced that the U.S. has captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. Defense Priorities Fellow Daniel DePetris issued the following statement in response:
“President Trump’s decision to order the bombing of multiple military facilities in Venezuela, as well as the successful capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, could usher in a period of immense change in the country. Whether that change will be positive or negative in the long-term remains to be seen.
“The Trump administration’s rationale for pressuring Maduro has shifted repeatedly over the last several months. Whether the justification is based on countering drug trafficking, reclaiming oil resources that Venezuela purportedly stole from the United States, or deposing an authoritarian government in the name of democracy, President Trump ordered a military-led regime change operation without congressional approval.
“Venezuela has been described as a direct threat to U.S. security in the Western Hemisphere. But this is giving the Maduro regime too much credit. In reality, Venezuela is a bankrupt state whose economy has declined precipitously over the last decade. Venezuela’s conventional military power is weak and its ability to project power is highly limited. And with the exception of Cuba and Nicaragua, Venezuela remains isolated in its own region. While at least some in Maduro’s regime have ties to drug trafficking organizations, Venezuela itself is a relatively minor player in the drug trade overall.
“While first reports indicate the strikes and raids were effective and well-executed, deposing Maduro is the easy part—what comes next is where the trouble often lies. The United States learned this the hard way during previous regime change operations in Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya, where early tactical achievements failed to produce strategic success and instead paved the way for expensive occupations and unintended consequences. A split in the Venezuelan military, an expansion of criminal groups in the country, civil war, and the emergence of an even worse autocrat are all possible scenarios. None of these would bode well for regional stability or U.S. interests in its sphere of influence.”
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