As news of Nicolás Maduro’s capture continues to ripple across the globe, the Left is tying itself in rhetorical knots trying to explain why the arrest of a brutal, narco-trafficking dictator has suddenly become a “problem.” President Trump’s bold move on January 3, a lightning-fast raid executed with surgical precision by U.S. forces, brought justice to a man long seen as untouchable. Yet predictably, the outrage from Democrats has been loud, reflexive, and entirely disconnected from both precedent and the facts.
Let’s be clear: the operation that brought down Maduro was not only legal — it was overdue. U.S. courts indicted him back in 2020 on charges of narco-terrorism, weapons trafficking, and conspiring to flood America with cocaine. There was a standing $15 million bounty on his head. And while the Biden administration dangled that reward during its tenure, it never took real steps to enforce it. Trump did.
Leftist protestors laud Hugo Chavez:
“They want to destroy the memory of the hero Hugo Chavez. Viva Chavez!”
Minneapolis. Because of course. pic.twitter.com/2SWvHtZKJR
— Western Lensman (@WesternLensman) January 4, 2026
What makes this raid even more impressive is what came before it. Just days earlier, U.S. forces, under Trump’s direction, carried out coordinated strikes in Nigeria targeting Islamic terrorist groups responsible for the ongoing persecution — and in some cases, genocide — of Christian communities. The message was unmistakable: America will act decisively to protect the innocent and bring global criminals to justice, regardless of location.
The raid on Caracas was quick, lethal, and effective. Intelligence on Maduro’s movements — reportedly sourced minute-by-minute through CIA assets on the ground — allowed U.S. special forces to strike with pinpoint accuracy. Targets around the capital were hit, security was neutralized, and within hours, Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were in U.S. custody. The operation, now known as Absolute Reserve, will likely be studied for years as a model of how to combine intelligence, power projection, and timing.
Venezuelan journalist Germania Rodriguez Poleo’s message to those who are mad that President Trump captured dictator Nicolas Maduro:
“Do not for a moment let your hatred and disdain for Donald Trump have you defending the dictator of my country, which was destroyed by [Maduro]… pic.twitter.com/uWp1oA6IQl
— Ryan Saavedra (@RyanSaavedra) January 3, 2026
But while Venezuelans are celebrating — and they are — America’s Left is doing something else entirely.
Kamala Harris, Chris Murphy, and the usual media outlets are busy clutching pearls over “sovereignty” and “regime change,” despite years of branding Maduro a dictator and a criminal. Their problem isn’t the raid — it’s that Trump pulled it off. It’s a reaction driven by political spite, not principle.
Y E S 🇻🇪 pic.twitter.com/xUy7wFlBG7
— Emily Schrader – אמילי שריידר امیلی شریدر (@emilykschrader) January 3, 2026
And Venezuelans see right through it.
One of the most searing responses came from Venezuelan journalist Germania Rodríguez Poleo, who issued a passionate reminder to the American commentariat: “Do not for a moment let your hatred and disdain for Donald Trump have you defending the dictator of my country.” She continued, “We Venezuelans are very, VERY happy that our dictator has been arrested, removed, and will be put through a trial. It’s the first time we’re seeing justice in 26 years!”
Unhinged woman screams at Venezuelans who are celebrating the fall of Maduro,
“Viva Chávez, viva Maduro, murderers”pic.twitter.com/5AQAHaCzLa
— Defiant L’s (@DefiantLs) January 3, 2026
The Left may be scrambling to frame this as reckless, but history will likely remember it as something else entirely: bold, lawful, and long overdue.
