# The US is currently attacking Caracas (Venezuela), has captured Maduro **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [January 3, 2026, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-us-is-currently-attacking-caracas-venezuela-has-captured-maduro/1026296 "2026-01-03T06:49:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 12
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2026, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-us-is-currently-attacking-caracas-venezuela-has-captured-maduro/1026296/221 "2026-01-05T01:11:17Z")
Attempting to run Venezuela won’t end well for the US. It’s only a matter of time before a insurgency emerges and US troops will be needed. Americans will be outraged if our soldiers needlessly die in Venezuela. It doesn’t sound like any long-range plans were made for the transition to a new government. Shutting down the drug cartels will be even harder. They’ve probably corrupted the military and government officials. > **[Top Republicans backpedal from Trump claim that US will run Venezuela](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jan/04/venezuela-trump-rubio-republicans)** > > Secretary of Stat Marco Rubio defends US capture of Maduro and says US has ‘leverage’ over country ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2026, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-us-is-currently-attacking-caracas-venezuela-has-captured-maduro/1026296/222 "2026-01-05T01:20:14Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Attempting to run Venezuela won’t end well for the US. It’s only a matter of time before a insurgency emerges and US troops will be needed. I kind of figured the plan to run Venezuela was to boss around the person running Venezuela, explaining that the US will bomb that person — with _zero boots on the ground_ — if they don’t do as they’re told, at which point the next person will get the same offer. ---
**Author:** ![vbob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/vbob/32/4439_2.png) [@vbob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vbob)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2026, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-us-is-currently-attacking-caracas-venezuela-has-captured-maduro/1026296/223 "2026-01-05T01:20:37Z")
> [@penultima\_thule](#): > > How’s that “I only want to be a dictator for one day” thingy working out? Same magical thinking as the House of Representatives declaring that the remainder of their session would only count as one day… ---
**Author:** ![PhillyGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed655f/32.png) [@PhillyGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PhillyGuy)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2026, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-us-is-currently-attacking-caracas-venezuela-has-captured-maduro/1026296/224 "2026-01-05T01:52:28Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > It’s only a matter of time before a insurgency emerges and US troops will be needed. Who would the insurgency attack? What would be their aim? Supporters of the party whose election victory this past July was stolen would seem to have a motive for insurgency. But they did not start one last year, and I am failing to understand why switching from one illegitimate leader to another of the same party would change this. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2026, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-us-is-currently-attacking-caracas-venezuela-has-captured-maduro/1026296/225 "2026-01-05T01:59:42Z")
A lot depends on how a new leader is perceived. Trump can screw thing up if he starts bragging the new leader answers to Washington. I hope it works out. The US needs to stay out of Venezuela. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2026, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-us-is-currently-attacking-caracas-venezuela-has-captured-maduro/1026296/226 "2026-01-05T02:19:53Z")
Starting… now! ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2026, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-us-is-currently-attacking-caracas-venezuela-has-captured-maduro/1026296/227 "2026-01-05T02:39:05Z")
30+ Cubans killed during the attack. Seeing that they were Maduro’s guard. Couple points about that: 1. If Maduro was indeed sold out, that’s gotta fray the relationship between his successor and Cuba. 2. Cuba’s gotta be anxious and pissed. They have a good intelligence service, any blowback? 3. Delta killed 30+ defending a place of their choosing without any deaths? Wild. ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2026, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-us-is-currently-attacking-caracas-venezuela-has-captured-maduro/1026296/228 "2026-01-05T03:42:58Z")
> **[Cuba says 32 Cuban officers were killed in US operation in Venezuela](https://apnews.com/article/cuba-us-venezuela-maduro-e66899b41f0b84cf83f77a69d399b486?link_source=ta_bluesky_link&taid=695b21a33265bb00015823d2&utm_campaign=trueanthem&utm_medium=social&utm_source=bluesky)** > > Cuba has acknowledged the deaths of 32 Cubans in the American military operation that ousted Venezuela's leader over the weekend. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2026, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-us-is-currently-attacking-caracas-venezuela-has-captured-maduro/1026296/229 "2026-01-05T03:50:55Z")
> [@PhillyGuy](#): > > Who would the insurgency attack? What would be their aim? They would attack the oil infrastructure, in order to deny the oil to the US. Something that the Iraqi resistance successfully did until we gave up on stealing their oil. Also, anyone believed to be cooperating with America; something else that happened in Iraq, people were killed by their own families for collaboration. I’m sure that’s one reason their Vice President isn’t expressing support for all this; she wants to _live._ ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2026, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-us-is-currently-attacking-caracas-venezuela-has-captured-maduro/1026296/230 "2026-01-05T04:40:57Z")
[Lest you think this debacle is a one-off…](https://www.aol.com/articles/venezuela-live-updates-trump-more-104610166.html) > [@](#): > > President Donald Trump, who has said the operation against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro should serve as a warning to the rest of the world, doubled down on his threats, implying that Colombian President Gustavo Petro could face U.S. action soon. > > “Colombia is very sick too, run by a sick man who likes making cocaine and selling it to the United States. And he’s not going to be doing it very long. Let me tell you,” Trump claimed while speaking to reporters on Sunday. & > [@](#): > > Reporters asked Trump if the U.S. has a similar plan to deal with Cuba as they did for Venezuela, to which he said that Cuba only survived because of Venezuela. > > “Now, they won’t have that money coming in. They won’t have the income coming in. You know, a lot of Cubans were killed yesterday, you know that a lot of Cubans were killed,” Trump said. > > Trump said those Cubans were trying to protect Maduro. > > Later, the president said that Cuba is “ready to fall.” [And let’s not forget Kalaallit Nunaat (Greenland).](https://www.aol.com/articles/trump-renews-push-annex-greenland-190537170.html) > [@](#): > > A day after the U.S. military toppled Venezuelan leader [Nicolás Maduro](https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/trump-releases-first-picture-nicol-171246070.html), President [Donald Trump](https://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/donald-trump/) appeared to have his eyes trained on the next target for American intervention: [Greenland](https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/why-does-us-want-greenland-165136499.html). > > Since taking office in 2025, Trump has [repeatedly floated](https://www.yahoo.com/news/trump-wants-buy-not-sale-190807773.html) buying the ice-covered Arctic island from Denmark and has refused to rule out taking the resource-rich land through military force. Trump has argued that annexing Greenland is a national security necessity, noting its.mass of critical minerals and strategic location. Wait a minute. Yes, of course Greenland is in a strategic location. It’s such a strategic place, [the US already has a military base there](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pituffik_Space_Base). [Senator Schumer has some words for the “war is peace” president.](https://www.aol.com/articles/violation-law-schumer-criticizes-decision-144656063.html) > [@](#): > > Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer addressed on Sunday the [stunning U.S. strike on Venezuela](https://abcnews.go.com/International/live-updates/venezuela-live-updates-trump-give-details-after-us/?id=127792811), saying the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro was unlawful. > > “Maduro is a horrible, horrible person, but you don’t treat lawlessness with other lawlessness, and that’s what’s happened here,” Schumer told “This Week” anchor George Stephanopoulos. “There is no authority … they did not just do ships off the water. They went inside Venezuela, bombed civilian as well as military places, and it’s a violation of the law to do what they did without getting the authorization of Congress.” ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2026, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-us-is-currently-attacking-caracas-venezuela-has-captured-maduro/1026296/231 "2026-01-05T04:50:07Z")
> [@Monty](#): > > Lest you think this debacle is a one-off… > **[Sen. Lindsey Graham on Cuba: "Their days are numbered."](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tSYUq5jNfDI%2F1)** > > Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC): "You just wait for Cuba...Their days are numbered." Full video here: https://www.c-span.org/program/white-house-event/pres-trump-... ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2026, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-us-is-currently-attacking-caracas-venezuela-has-captured-maduro/1026296/232 "2026-01-05T05:38:41Z")
[There’s a gaping hole in the felon’s cover story for his latest misadventure.](https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/rubio-loses-cool-confronted-major-204540265.html) > [@](#): > > Marco Rubio was visibly irritated to be reminded that despite the [capture of former president Nicolás Maduro](https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/first-photos-defiant-maduro-custody-055747542.html), the dictator’s regime is still in power in Venezuela. > > “I’m curious why the Trump administration decided to leave [Maduro’s regime] intact and only arrest Nicolás Maduro and his wife,” host Margaret Brennan questioned on _Face the Nation_ Sunday, pointing out others in Maduro’s government who were indicted in the U.S. > > “I’m confused. Are they still wanted by the United States? Why didn’t you arrest them if you are taking out the narcoterrorist regime?” she asked. [And exactly what do you think this cabal of genius military stategists were doing during the attack?](https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/war-room-photos-catch-trump-052636560.html) > [@](#): > > President Donald Trump, joined by members of his Cabinet and senior advisers, monitored his unauthorized invasion of Venezuela not from Washington D.C., but from a makeshift situation room at Mar-a-Lago. > > While the Palm Beach setting was already unusual enough, eagle-eyed social media users were quick to notice an interesting detail in the background of several photos the president posted to Truth Social depicting himself, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Homeland Security Advisor Stephen Miller, and others in the president’s inner circle: an X feed. > > [Two of](https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115832479510808181) [the photos](https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115832480524727905) show senior Trump officials gathered in front of a screen with an [X search](https://x.com/search?q=venezuela&src=typed_query&f=top) open for “Venezuela.” A [third photo](https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115832487751046400) shows Hegseth, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan “Raizin” Caine huddled around a laptop with an X profile visible on the screen behind them. ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2026, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-us-is-currently-attacking-caracas-venezuela-has-captured-maduro/1026296/233 "2026-01-05T05:52:49Z")
> [@Snarky\_Kong](#): > > 30+ Cubans killed during the attack. Seeing that they were Maduro’s guard. Wait, hold up - so the 40 deaths were almost all Cuban mercenaries hired by Maduro? What happened to the 40 civilian casualties we kept being told about by some in this very thread? Was that misinformation? ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2026, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-us-is-currently-attacking-caracas-venezuela-has-captured-maduro/1026296/234 "2026-01-05T05:55:52Z")
> [@Babale](#): > > Wait, hold up - so the 40 deaths were almost all Cuban mercenaries hired by Maduro? What happened to the 40 civilian casualties we kept being told about by some in this very thread? Was that misinformation? Entirely possible. It may have also been incomplete information from the early hours of the attack. This AP article quotes the Cuban government as saying that the 32 were “military and police officers.” The term “mercenary” comes across, to me, as a soldier-of-fortune, or a gun-for-hire, and not a member of a nation’s military or police force. That said, it’s possible that Maduro or his government paid for the Cubans to be there. > **[Cuba says 32 Cuban officers were killed in US operation in Venezuela](https://apnews.com/article/cuba-us-venezuela-maduro-e66899b41f0b84cf83f77a69d399b486)** > > Cuba has acknowledged the deaths of 32 Cubans in the American military operation that ousted Venezuela's leader over the weekend. ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2026, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-us-is-currently-attacking-caracas-venezuela-has-captured-maduro/1026296/235 "2026-01-05T06:00:07Z")
The 40 number is probably just wrong. A low initial estimate I’d guess, or deaths throughout the city before bodies were counted wherever Maduro was holed up. Not mercenaries, but Cuban security forces. Like Karzai being protected by the US at points. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2026, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-us-is-currently-attacking-caracas-venezuela-has-captured-maduro/1026296/236 "2026-01-05T06:04:24Z")
> [@Snarky\_Kong](#): > > The 40 number is probably just wrong. It’s [at least 80](https://www.trtworld.com/article/274015df996e), now and likely to rise. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2026, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-us-is-currently-attacking-caracas-venezuela-has-captured-maduro/1026296/237 "2026-01-05T06:06:21Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Americans will be outraged if our soldiers needlessly die in Venezuela. That sounds like a problem for a hypothetical future opposition administration who can be blamed for failing to properly manage the quagmire. ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2026, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-us-is-currently-attacking-caracas-venezuela-has-captured-maduro/1026296/238 "2026-01-05T06:08:29Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > This AP article quotes the Cuban government as saying that the 32 were “military and police officers.” The term “mercenary” comes across, to me, as a soldier-of-fortune, or a gun-for-hire, and not a member of a nation’s military or police force If they were Cubans operating out of Venezuela to guard the leader of Venezuela, it seems to me that they’re basically mercenaries, even if they’re originally there because they were ordered to be by Cuba. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2026, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-us-is-currently-attacking-caracas-venezuela-has-captured-maduro/1026296/239 "2026-01-05T06:10:01Z")
> [@Babale](#): > > If they were Cubans operating out of Venezuela to guard the leader of Venezuela, it seems to me that they’re basically mercenaries, even if they’re originally there because they were ordered to be by Cuba. That just seems like an excuse to badmouth a bunch of dead bodyguards by using a less popular word for them. ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2026, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-us-is-currently-attacking-caracas-venezuela-has-captured-maduro/1026296/240 "2026-01-05T06:10:42Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > It’s [at least 80](https://www.trtworld.com/article/274015df996e), now and likely to rise. From your link: _“Earlier, Venezuela’s Defence Minister Vladimir Padrino said a large part of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s security team had been killed during the US operation, without giving exact numbers.”_ So the 80 number includes 32 Cuban security forces and “a large part” of Maduro’s own security team. Is there any actual evidence of civilian casualties or was that just conjecture? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-us-is-currently-attacking-caracas-venezuela-has-captured-maduro/1026296.md?page=11) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-us-is-currently-attacking-caracas-venezuela-has-captured-maduro/1026296.md?page=13)