The Trump Administration’s Venezuelan Intervention: Legal Justifications, Resource Interests, and MAGA Politics
On January 3, 2026, in a military operation code-named "Absolute Resolve," the United States conducted a dramatic raid on Caracas, Venezuela, resulting in the forcible abduction of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. The operation, involving 150 aircraft deployed from approximately 20 bases and conducted by U.S. special forces, marked the most aggressive military action of President Donald Trump's tenure.