WEST PALM BEACH, United States — In a dramatic escalation of tensions, former US President Donald Trump utilized his Truth Social platform to disseminate an image depicting Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in captivity aboard a US naval vessel. The photograph, released on Saturday, portrays the Latin American leader blindfolded, handcuffed, and outfitted with apparent noise-cancelling ear protection, alongside grey Nike-branded athletic wear.
This visual confirmation followed Trump’s earlier announcement revealing that US forces had successfully executed a ‘large scale strike’ operation within Venezuela, resulting in Maduro’s capture and subsequent transport to the USS Iwo Jima. The operation represents the culmination of an extensive campaign employing both military and economic pressure tactics against Maduro’s government and its oil-dependent economy.
The capture occurred merely forty-eight hours after Maduro had extended an overture to the Trump administration, proposing bilateral cooperation on critical issues including narcotics trafficking containment and illegal migration mitigation. This strategic military action underscores the severe deterioration of diplomatic relations between the two nations and marks an unprecedented intervention in South American political affairs.