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On January 3, 2026, U.S. special operations carried out a daring mission in Caracas that resulted in the capture of Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, an operation the administration has described as aimed at executing longstanding criminal indictments. The move, labeled Operation Absolute Resolve by some outlets, closed a chapter of half-measures and sent a message that American sovereignty and our streets are not for narco-dictators to poison. This was not a limp diplomatic protest or another weak sanctions press release — it was decisive action taken to enforce U.S. law and protect the American people.
Maduro and Flores were flown to New York and appeared in federal court in Manhattan on January 5, 2026, where they pleaded not guilty to charges including narcotics and narco-terrorism conspiracies that stretch back years. The arraignment underlined that this was not political theater but a legal process long delayed by diplomatic cowardice in previous administrations. Both remain held pending further proceedings, and the U.S. justice system will now do what it does best: follow the evidence.
Former National Security Advisor Gen. Michael Flynn laid out the realistic timeline and legal contours during his interview with Carl Higbie, emphasizing that Justice Department authorities requested operational support and that the raid was structured to serve arrest warrants — a law enforcement action backed by military precision. Flynn made clear this was a targeted mission engineered to seize dangerous criminals responsible for flooding our cities with poison, not an open-ended invasion. For patriots who value both the rule of law and the safety of American families, that distinction matters and justifies the tough choice.
Sen. Rand Paul warned the country that the strikes amounted to war and urged Congress to weigh in, a reminder that even on the right there are honest debates about constitutional war powers. Those concerns deserve respect, but they cannot become an excuse to tolerate a drug-trafficking regime that treats our children as collateral damage. Senator Paul is right to ask hard questions about checks and balances, but he should not lose sight of the fact that leadership sometimes requires the rare, surgical use of force to enforce law and protect citizens.
Let us be blunt: for years Washington’s soft approach allowed Maduro’s criminal networks to metastasize into a hemispheric threat, sending fentanyl and cartel violence into American communities. Conservatives who have long demanded secure borders and an unflinching stance against transnational crime should celebrate that the administration finally moved earth and sea to choke the pipeline of death. This is America First in action — putting the safety of our neighborhoods above hollow globalist pieties and moralizing restraint that only empowers tyrants.
Predictably, the international left and career diplomats cried foul, calling the capture illegal and reckless, but history has precedent for bringing indicted leaders to justice without surrendering sovereignty. Manuel Noriega faced similar challenges decades ago and the courts ultimately upheld prosecution; the lesson is clear — when foreign leaders traffic in drugs and terror against Americans, our justice system is the proper forum. Let the lawyers and judges sort the legal nuances while the American people sleep easier knowing our government acted.
There are big strategic prizes at stake beyond justice: stabilizing Venezuela and reclaiming its oil resources from kleptocrats could reshape regional dynamics and relieve pressure on global markets. The administration’s stated intent to involve American firms in rebuilding critical infrastructure is not empire; it is pragmatic reconstruction that benefits both Venezuelans and American workers. Conservatives who believe in American industry and energy independence should support converting victory into stable, productive order rather than leaving a power vacuum for hostile actors to exploit.
Now Congress must perform its duty without grandstanding, and every patriot should demand transparency and a fair, rigorous trial for those accused. We can defend constitutional principles and still applaud courage when the nation is threatened by narcotics and violence. Stand with the law, stand with American families, and let no Washington elite lecture us on what it means to protect our homeland.
