It was a long night for the Trump administration. We have a new project underway in Venezuela. Its leader, President Nicolas Maduro, and his wife were captured by US Special Forces last night in a daring raid. It was a Noreiga-like removal. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced that Mr. Maduro will be charged with “Narco-Terrorism Conspiracy, Cocaine Importation Conspiracy, Possession of Machineguns and Destructive Devices, and Conspiracy to Possess Machineguns and Destructive Devices against the United States.”
Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, have been indicted in the Southern District of New York. Nicolas Maduro has been charged with Narco-Terrorism Conspiracy, Cocaine Importation Conspiracy, Possession of Machineguns and Destructive Devices, and Conspiracy to Possess…
— Attorney General Pamela Bondi (@AGPamBondi) January 3, 2026
It was a legal military operation. We had boots on the ground, so you could call this an invasion. Massive airstrikes rocked Caracas early this morning, followed by Delta Force sweeping in to nab Maduro.
During a press conference at Mar-a-Lago about this military action, President Trump coined a new term to justify it, calling it essentially a corollary to the Monroe Doctrine. Folks, we saw the “Donroe Doctrine” in action last night, a phrase you know is going to drive the libs insane.
.@POTUS on Venezuela's hostilities: All of these actions were in gross violation of the core principles of American foreign policy dating back two centuries... all the way back to the Monroe Doctrine... they now call it the Donroe Doctrine. pic.twitter.com/KfPpRj6cJ3
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) January 3, 2026
“The Donroe Doctrine.” https://t.co/dAaLShhVRp pic.twitter.com/7mhw8CiUC1
— Logan Hall (@loganclarkhall) January 3, 2026
Flanking Trump at Mar-a-Lago:
— Philip Melanchthon Wegmann (@PhilipWegmann) January 3, 2026
—Deputy WH Cos Stephen miller
—CIA Director John Ratcliffe
—Sec of State Marco Rubio
—Sec of War Pete Hegseth
—Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen Dan Caine
.@POTUS: "We're going to run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper, and judicious transition." pic.twitter.com/VkfaCbg3su
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) January 3, 2026
The Monroe Doctrine was a warning to European nations to cease all neo-colonial activities in the New World, specifically that American national security depends on these territories being free from their influence. At the time, there was no way to enforce it, but it was the first step toward the US pronouncing what it considered its backyard. Latin America has always been viewed in such a manner, leading to the ‘imperalisimo yankee’ chants. The Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine essentially said that the US could intervene in any Latin American nation for its own interests. Sure, there was the repeat of the European intervention, but failure to honor economic agreements could be viewed as a cause for military intervention. It was part of Teddy Roosevelt’s ‘speak softly but carry a big stick’ ethos for his presidency. This corollary was ironically put forth after a political crisis in Venezuela, where European nations imposed a blockade on the country over unpaid debts.