President Trump Announces Capture of Nicolás Maduro, Echoing Past U.S. Operations
Updated on: January 3, 2026 / 9:09 AM EST / CBS News
In a significant development in U.S.-Latin American relations, President Trump announced the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife early Saturday morning. This event occurred exactly 35 years after U.S. forces apprehended Manuel Noriega, the former Panamanian leader who had long been a key ally of the United States.
The Historical Context: Manuel Noriega
Manuel Noriega led Panama during the 1980s, initially supported by U.S. officials as a CIA asset. Raised in the impoverished neighborhoods of Panama City, Noriega’s rise was propelled by his connections with General Omar Torrijos, who embarked on a military coup in 1968. Following Torrijos’s death in a plane crash in 1983, Noriega assumed control over the government.
Although initially instrumental in U.S. efforts to combat drug trafficking in the region, Noriega’s relationship with Washington soured in the late 1980s due to his increasing demands for autonomy and accusations of accepting bribes in exchange for drug trafficking permissions. In 1989, President George H.W. Bush ordered a military invasion of Panama, deploying 24,000 troops to oust Noriega from power. The operation resulted in the deaths of 23 American soldiers and many more injuries.
After hiding in the Vatican embassy, Noriega surrendered to U.S. authorities on January 3, 1990. His subsequent trial led to a 20-year prison sentence in the U.S. for drug trafficking. The international community witnessed his extradition to France in 2010 for mstarty laundering and his return to Panama in 2011 to serve a 60-year sentence for various other crimes. Noriega passed away in 2017 due to complications from surgery, a poignant closure to a tumultuous chapter in Panamanian and U.S. history.
The Arrest of Nicolás Maduro
House Intelligence Chair Rep. Rick Crawford remarked on the recent capture of Maduro, correlating it to the historical context of Noriega’s arrest. “This is a historic day in the Western Hemisphere, 36 years after the capture of Manuel Noriega, when the U.S. showed we will not allow cartels to take over countries in our shared neighborhood,” Crawford stated on social media.
Crawford, a Republican from Arkansas, emphasized that Maduro’s arrest is crucial for Venezuela’s recovery. “Venezuela could never start the road back to the great nation it once was until Maduro was out of the way. I call upon the Venezuelan people to reclaim their freedom,” he asserted.
Conclusion
The capture of Nicolás Maduro marks a pivotal moment for U.S.-Latin American relations, drawing parallels to past interventions and suggesting a continued commitment to U.S. influence in the region. As the situation unfolds, it remains to be seen how this will impact the future of governance and democracy in Venezuela.