According to an intelligence report obtained by the outlet Infobae, Venezuela’s former strongman Nicolás Maduro was explicitly warned about a looming US military operation targeting him, yet he brushed off the alert in the weeks before his eventual capture.
The report says the warning was delivered on December 28 during a high-level meeting at the Naval Academy of the Bolivarian Navy (Academia Militar de la Armada Bolivariana), a training institution for naval officers of Venezuela’s armed forces. The gathering brought together top regime officials and senior military commanders.
Vladimir Padrino López, who was serving as Venezuela’s defense minister at the time, is said to have raised the alarm about a possible US strike or operation. His recommendation was blunt: immediately cancel troops’ holiday leave, reinforce deployments at military units nationwide, and step up operational activity across the country as a precaution.
Despite the gravity of the warning, Maduro reportedly dismissed Padrino López’s assessment and took no action. Days later, on January 3, 2026, he was captured on Venezuelan soil, marking a dramatic end to his hold on power.
The revelation adds new detail to the chaotic final days of Maduro’s rule, raising questions about internal miscommunication—or denial—at the top of the Venezuelan regime as US pressure mounted. For the full report and additional context, read the original story at El Tiempo.
Source: Nicolás Maduro habría ignorado advertencia sobre operativo militar de EE. UU. en su contra antes de la captura (eltiempo.com). English version produced with AI assistance.
Image: United States Naval Academy Photo Archive, PDM 1.0 (via Openverse).