By SHR Media Staff
Published January 3, 2026, 10:54am PST

Operation Absolute Resolve

The White House says the operation was called Operation Absolute Resolve. Reports say it involved US strikes on Venezuelan military targets followed by a raid that captured Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, before dawn on Saturday.

What happened in Venezuela

Reports described loud explosions in and around Caracas, damage at a military base and power disruptions during the operation. Venezuelan officials condemned the strikes and called the capture a kidnapping. No U.S. military or injuries or losses were reported during the operation.

Who runs Venezuela right now

This is still unclear. Competing claims are moving fast and there has not been one single transition announcement that everyone recognizes. Watch what the military and internal security forces do. Videos on social media appear to show Venezuelans celebrating in the streets today.

Why China cares

This story is not just about Caracas. It is also about China. China has been the biggest buyer of Venezuelan crude, even if Venezuela is a smaller slice of China’s total imports. A sudden disruption in Caracas is a disruption Beijing has to solve.

Iran turmoil makes the signal louder

China is also the primary buyer of Iranian oil. Iranhttps://shrmedia.com/2026/02/19/iran-escalation-how-we-got-here/ is now dealing with major unrest tied to inflation, currency collapse and public anger. If China’s Venezuela oil stream gets hit while Iran is unstable, the pressure is not theoretical. It is real and it is immediate.

Taiwan is the backdrop

China has been running large drills around Taiwan designed to simulate encirclement and blockade conditions. In that context, a US operation that removes an oil backed partner of Beijing lands as more than a regional headline.

The Noriega legal echo?

There is a clear historical parallel in the Noriega case. The US captured Panama’s de facto leader, brought him to the United States and prosecuted him in federal court on drug trafficking, money laundering and racketeering charges.

The legal takeaway is simple. Noriega fought the case on jurisdiction and process arguments. The prosecution still moved forward and he was convicted. That does not guarantee the same outcome here, but it shows the shape of the legal fight Maduro’s team is likely to try.

Sources:

• Reuters, Inside the US operation, Operation Absolute Resolve, Trump posted a custody image Reuters+1
• Associated Press, US captures Maduro and Flores and plans to prosecute AP News+1
• Reuters, China is the biggest buyer of Venezuelan crude and Venezuela is about 4 percent of China crude imports Reuters
• Reuters, China is the primary importer of Iranian oil and the scale of reliance Reuters
• Reuters, Iran unrest and crackdown warnings, deaths reported Reuters+1
• Reuters, China drills around Taiwan and Taiwan response Reuters+1
• Library of Congress, Noriega trial and sentencing details The Library of Congress
• History.com, Noriega surrender date and later conviction and sentencing HISTORY
• ICRC casebook, United States v Noriega and the jurisdiction challenge context casebook.icrc.org

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