U.S. Forces Capture Nicolás Maduro in January Raid Following Secret Qatar-Mediated Talks

The United States launched a raid on January 3 that captured former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores. Qatar was not informed in advance of the operation, according to a Qatari source who spoke with CNN. U.S. Participated in Qatar-mediated talks on what the country might look like if Maduro stepped down.

The discussions in Doha included a potential transition of power in Venezuela, the source said. Yet the vision for a post-Maduro Venezuela discussed in the talks never touched on a role for prominent opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Corina Machado.

U.S. nor Venezuelan officials discussed Machado as part of a post-Maduro transition plan. Shortly after Maduro was captured, President Donald Trump told reporters that he didn’t think Machado had the “support” within Venezuela necessary to lead a transition.

A few weeks afterward, Machado visited Trump at the White House and gave him her Nobel Prize medal. Instead of Machado, the Trump administration allowed Vice President Delcy Rodríguez to assume the presidency of Venezuela.

U.S. Through Doha last year. She made several visits to Qatar in 2024, including meetings with Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani. Qatar positioned itself as a mediator between Washington and Caracas at the request of both sides.

Doha has often played a mediating role between Washington and Caracas. Initial talks during the Biden administration centered on prisoner exchanges and negotiations over detained Americans in Venezuela. Following Maduro’s capture, Venezuela publicly thanked Qatar for helping seek proof of life and facilitating communication efforts between the parties involved.

U.S. government where profits from Venezuelan oil sales would be deposited. The account has since been closed. Since their capture, Maduro and Flores have been jailed at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn.

They are awaiting trial on drug and gun charges. Both have pleaded not guilty. The case has proceeded slowly. U.S. government recently allowed the Venezuelan government to pay for the couple’s defense after a weeks-long delay.

CNN reported these details.