The night Maduro was captured

It felt almost unreal, like a scene playing out on a TV screen. From a private room at Mar-a-Lago, President Donald Trump flanked by security advisers followed audio live, watching  elite US forces carried out a high-risk mission in Caracas. The target was Nicolás Maduro, taken  by surprise late at night inside his own residence.

The moment marked the peak of weeks of quiet planning aimed at removing the Venezuelan leader from power. Though Trump had expressed doubts along the way wary of fallout and wider conflict he ultimately approved the move just days before Christmas, once conditions aligned.

After delays caused by weather and logistics, the final signal came late in the evening. Surrounded by senior security officials, Trump gave a brief send-off before the mission unfolded, calm and confident, as events thousands of miles away moved swiftly into history.

R.S