Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro was arrested by US Special Forces in the early hours of Saturday (January 3, 2026) under a covert operation Operation Absolute Resolve and was taken to New York to face drug trafficking charges. However, a few months before his recent arrest, 63-year-old Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro had openly challenged US President Donald Trump to come and take him to the Miraflores Presidential Palace if he had the courage.
In fact, America had increased the reward amount announced for providing information related to Maduro’s arrest, after which in August, in one of his speeches, Maduro had pointed towards Trump and said, ‘If you have the courage, come and take me. I will wait here in Miraflores. Don’t delay, coward.
White House made fun of Maduro
The US White House made fun of Venezuelan President Maduro by sharing a video on social media platform X on Sunday (January 4, 2026). In this video, clips of Maduro’s challenges to America and scenes of the operation to capture him and his wife Cilia Flores were shown.
Nicolas Maduro had his chance — until he didn’t.
The Trump Administration will always defend American citizens against all threats, foreign and domestic. pic.twitter.com/eov3GbBXf4
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) January 4, 2026