Overview
- At Fort Bragg, Trump and the first lady honored the special operators behind the Jan. 3 Caracas raid, which Venezuelan officials say left 83 dead and more than 112 injured, with seven U.S. troops wounded and no U.S. deaths reported.
- The president met privately with the team, lauded the mission as proof of American military strength, and touted a secret "discombobulator" device he claims disabled adversary equipment.
- Nicolás Maduro remains in U.S. detention on narco‑terrorism and drug charges, with his next court hearing set for March 17 in New York.
- The administration is working with interim leader Delcy Rodríguez on broad oversight of Venezuela’s oil industry, including U.S. marketing of Venezuelan crude through accounts under U.S. control.
- Trump used the event for overt political messaging, endorsing Michael Whatley for Senate and linking U.S. force posture to Iran talks while noting a second aircraft carrier deployment.