President Donald Trump is set to meet on Friday with members of the U.S. military’s special forces credited with capturing Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro during a controversial January operation in Caracas.
The White House said Trump will be joined by First Lady Melania Trump when he greets the troops at Fort Bragg, where they are based. The event is intended to honour the servicemembers for their roles in what the administration calls “Operation Absolute Resolve,” a mission that resulted in Maduro’s capture last month.
Details released by U.S. officials suggest the operation involved elite forces who entered Venezuela in a pre‑dawn raid and apprehended Maduro and his wife. Maduro was later flown to the United States to face criminal charges, including alleged drug‑trafficking offenses, in federal court in New York.
During a prior public briefing, Trump praised the mission as a demonstration of U.S. military capability. He has also described the operation as part of broader efforts to assert Washington’s influence in the Western Hemisphere, a posture some commentators have linked to a reinterpretation of Cold War‑era policies.
Trump’s meeting at Fort Bragg is expected to include appearances with military families as well as the special operations personnel involved in the Caracas mission. The visit also aligns with Trump’s political efforts to highlight national security and military success as he campaigns ahead of elections later this year.
Maduro’s removal from power has already triggered a mix of responses across the region, with increased public demonstrations in Venezuela and cautious optimism among some opposition groups. His successor at the time of the operation, Delcy Rodríguez, has remained the acting leader.
