President Donald Trump said Tuesday during his State of the Union address that the operation he ordered last January, which culminated in the capture of former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, served to “bring down one of the most sinister capos”.
“Elite American warriors carried out one of the most complex and spectacular feats in terms of military proficiency and might in world history. No one has ever seen anything like it,” Trump assured the joint session of Congress.
State of the Union: Trump brags about Maduro’s capture
President Trump surprised one State of the Union guest by bringing out her uncle – who had been a political prisoner in Venezuela under Nicolas Maduro’s regime. https://t.co/DUCHAweJyu pic.twitter.com/aEPi4Eoiqq
– ABC News (@ABC) February 25, 2026
President Trump highlighted the role played in the operation by the Space Forces, which he affectionately called “his baby,” as they were founded in 2019, during his first term.
Trump said the operation, which concluded with Maduro imprisoned in New York awaiting federal trial for narcoterrorism and conspiracy, has opened “a bright new beginning for the Venezuelan people.”
The U.S. President again insisted that his government is working “closely with Venezuela’s new President Delcy Rodriguez” to “drive extraordinary economic progress for both countries and bring new hope to those who have suffered so terribly.
As an example of Chavismo’s repression, Trump alluded to a young Venezuelan woman named Alejandra Gonzalez, niece of former presidential candidate Enrique Márquez, who was seated on Capitol Hill.
Marquez was arrested on January 7, 2025, after participating in the presidential elections of July 28, 2024 and questioning the victory attributed to Nicolas Maduro by the National Electoral Council (CNE).
The former candidate was released from prison five days after Maduro’s overthrow and, in a major coup, made an appearance on Tuesday at the Capitol when Trump asked him to enter.
Márquez and González then embraced each other in a heartfelt embrace as the legislators applauded.
Filed under: Trump Maduro State Union
With information from EFE
