Trump mocks Nicolas Maduro with triumphant video after reported Caracas capture

WASHINGTON, DC: On Saturday, January 3, President Donald Trump shared a triumphant and mocking video online following reports that Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro had been captured during an early-morning US operation in Caracas.

According to claims circulated by Trump and several conservative media outlets, an aircraft transporting Maduro landed at a Hudson Valley airport later Saturday. The Venezuelan leader was reportedly expected to be transferred to federal custody and arraigned next week in the Southern District of New York. US officials have not independently confirmed these details.

Trump mocks Nicolas Maduro capture

Trump reposted a video montage that juxtaposed a fiery speech delivered by Maduro in 2024 with dramatic footage celebrating what the video described as a successful US military operation.

In the opening clip, Maduro was shown shouting “¡Venga por mí!” translated as “Come for me” as he appeared to challenge adversaries to confront him at Miraflores, the Venezuelan presidential palace. The clip portrayed the remarks as defiant taunts aimed at the United States.

The video then abruptly shifted tone, cutting to overtly patriotic American imagery. One segment featured actor Kevin James at the 2007 Daytona 500, accompanied by audio framed as a rousing message of national pride. The montage included phrases such as “God bless our troops” and “God bless America,” before concluding with the line “Gentlemen, start your engines!” layered over visuals of a soaring bald eagle.

Additional footage appeared to show the reported capture of Maduro and his wife, First Lady Cilia Flores, as they were escorted aboard the USS 'Iwo Jima.' The video claimed the couple were being transported to New York to face US charges.

The clip had circulated on Facebook prior to Trump sharing it, shortly after he announced that the mission had succeeded and referred to Maduro as a “dictator” and a “tough cookie.”

Nicolas Maduro's remarks and federal indictment 

A Yahoo News fact check later noted that the speech excerpted in the video was taken out of context. Maduro’s remarks were delivered in 2024 during a political dispute inside Venezuela and were directed at opposition rival Edmundo González Urrutia, not the United States.

The Biden administration had previously recognized González as the legitimate winner of Venezuela’s contested election, escalating tensions with Maduro’s government.

Maduro has been charged by a US federal grand jury in connection with allegations that he helped orchestrate the trafficking of “thousands of tons” of cocaine into the United States. Prosecutors have alleged the scheme enriched Maduro, his family, and senior Venezuelan officials.

"Maduro and his wife will soon face the full might of American justice and stand trial on American soil," Trump said during a press appearance from his Mar-a-Lago estate in South Florida earlier Saturday.

The reported capture and Trump’s celebratory response drew swift criticism from several Democrats, including as Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and New York City Mayor-elect Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who questioned both the legality of the operation and the reliability of the claims surrounding it.

As of Saturday evening, neither the White House nor the US Department of Justice had publicly confirmed the arrest or transport of Maduro.