U.S. President Donald Trump is set to travel to Fort Bragg, North Carolina, to publicly commend the elite U.S. special operations forces responsible for the high-profile capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro earlier this year.
The visit will include time with service members and their families at one of the United States Army’s largest bases, the White House said, underscoring Trump’s effort to highlight the operation as a key achievement of his administration. The first lady, Melania Trump, will accompany him on the trip.
The Venezuelan leader and his wife, Cilia Flores, were detained in a dramatic early-January mission that saw U.S. special forces fly into Caracas under cover of darkness, overpowered defenses and seized Maduro from a fortified compound.
Trump supporters have described the mission as a demonstration of American military capability.
Maduro is currently in U.S. custody, facing charges including drug trafficking. His next hearing is scheduled in New York federal court in March.
White House officials said Trump plans to use the Fort Bragg event to recognize what he calls the “heroic members” of the operation.
The administration has promoted the raid as part of a broader strategy to counter narcotics and regional instability, though critics including some foreign governments have questioned the legality and long-term implications of U.S. actions in Venezuela.
International reactions continue to vary, with some allies viewing the operation as a setback for Venezuelan authoritarianism and others condemning it as a breach of sovereignty under international law.
