Exclusive photographs from inside Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate have revealed the former president and his top advisors were intently focused on social media platform X as a major military strike unfolded against Venezuela, leading to the capture of its leader, Nicolás Maduro.
The Situation Room and Social Media Scrutiny
Images released by the White House show Trump gathered with key figures in a makeshift war room at his Florida base on Friday. The president was flanked by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, Central Intelligence Director John Ratcliffe, and General Dan Caine.
In the background of the photos, a large wall-mounted television screen clearly displays a search for 'Venezuela' on X (formerly Twitter), indicating the administration was closely monitoring real-time public chatter about the impending operation. The team, dressed in suits, were huddled in a room draped with black curtains, a scene described as unprecedented.
Operation Absolute Resolve: The Capture of Maduro
In the early hours of Saturday, Trump announced on his Truth Social platform that a 'large-scale' strike had been successfully carried out. He declared that US forces had captured President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, and flown them out of the country.
The mission, officially dubbed Operation Absolute Resolve, involved more than 50 aircraft launched from 20 bases across the Western Hemisphere. According to General Dan Caine, an elite Delta Force unit captured Maduro and his wife in their beds. The operation, conducted in conjunction with US law enforcement, targeted five sites in Venezuela, including three in the capital, Caracas, sending explosions ripping through the city overnight.
Maduro and his wife were subsequently transported to the USS Iwo Jima and then flown to Stewart Air National Guard Base in New York. They are scheduled to face drug and weapons charges in Manhattan federal court next week.
Aftermath and International Condemnation
Following the capture, Trump held a press conference in Florida, stating the US would now take control of Venezuela, with Rubio and Hegseth working alongside the 'people of Venezuela.' He did not confirm whether US forces would remain on the ground long-term.
The operation has sparked fierce condemnation from Caracas. Maduro's vice president, Delcy Rodríguez, whom Trump said assumed the presidency on Saturday, labelled the action a 'barbaric' and 'illegal kidnapping' and demanded the immediate release of the couple. Venezuelan Attorney General Tarek Saab insisted 'innocents' were 'mortally wounded,' though a source told CNN the strike caused no casualties.
Maduro faces a four-count federal indictment, unsealed on Saturday, which names him, his wife, his son, and other officials. Prosecutors allege he conspired with drug traffickers and narco-terrorists over 25 years to smuggle 'thousands of tons' of cocaine into the United States.
