A Predawn Op in Latin America? The US has Been Here Before, But the Seizure of Venezuela’s Maduro is Still Unprecedented

An image of a captured Nicolás Maduro released by President Donald Trump on social media.
Truth Social

In the dead of night during the holidays, the United States launched an operation inside a Latin American country, intent on seizing its leader on the pretext that he is wanted in U.S. courts on drug charges.

The date was Dec. 20, 1989, the country was Panama, and the wanted man was General Manuel Noriega.

Many people in the Americas waking up on Jan. 3, 2026, may have been feeling a sense of déjà vu.