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The Trump administration’s successful operation to capture Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro was heralded as a “masterclass in precision” on Sunday, as U.S. Navy Secretary John Phelan spotlighted the might and capabilities of American forces.
“You don’t want to mess with the United States military,” Phelan said on “Sunday Night in America.”
“In particular, what I see coming from the Department of the Navy, [it shows] the importance of naval ships, which is something the president really knows a lot about and has emphasized greatly, and it’s something we’re moving out on, which is building the best-in-class, best-in-breed ships, making sure that both the Marines and the sailors have the assets they need in order to move out on operations like this.”
President Donald Trump holds a press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at his Mar-a-Lago club on Dec. 29, 2025, in Palm Beach, Fla. (left); President of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro speaks during a press conference on the day after Venezuelans voted in the referendum about the border conflict with neighboring country Guyana about the potential oil-rich Esequibo region on Dec. 4, 2023, in Caracas, Venezuela. (right) (Joe Raedle/Getty Images (left); Gaby Oraa/Getty Images (right))
Phelan’s praise comes on the heels of U.S. forces capturing Maduro on Saturday, a joint-force effort that drew mixed reactions as Democrats and Republicans debated legality concerns and what the future might hold for the South American country.
The operation followed months-long efforts to halt alleged narco-terrorism schemes tied to the country, including strikes on suspected drug boats in Caribbean waters.
FROM BUS DRIVER TO DICTATOR: NICOLÁS MADURO’S RISE AND FALL IN VENEZUELA
A Venezuelan immigrant critical of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro celebrates while wearing the country’s flag outside the Metropolitan Detention Center in New York on Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026. (Yuki Iwamura/AP Photo)
Phelan told Fox News the mission “couldn’t have been more successful,” emphasizing its message to U.S. adversaries that President Donald Trump is willing to take action when all else fails.
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“He [Trump] is really a person of peace, and he gave Maduro countless numbers of opportunities to call it a day, and instead, unfortunately, he had to face the full might of the United States military,” he said.
“I think any of our adversaries who saw that mission and understood the complexity, the coordination, and… [the] masterclass in precision and lightning execution… you don’t want to mess with the United States military.”
Maduro faces arraignment in federal court in New York City on Monday alongside his wife, Cilia Flores.
