President Donald Trump struck a triumphant note over the capture of Nicolas Maduro on Saturday, saying he had watched live as US forces seized the Venezuelan leader from a “fortress.”

“I’ve never seen anything like this. I was able to watch it in real time,” the 79-year-old Republican said in a telephone interview with Fox News.

“I watched it, literally, like I was watching a television show. And if you would have seen the speed, the violence.”

Trump said no US troops were killed in the dramatic operation, adding that the Venezuelan president and his wife had been taken to a ship and would then be sent to New York, where they face drug and terrorism charges.

The US president, who is at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida, said he had spoken to Maduro a week ago and told him “you have to surrender.”

He added that the United States would not allow anyone to take over where Maduro “left off” — while skirting around whether he backed Nobel Peace laureate Maria Machado to be the next president.

Trump gave a detailed description of the operation that saw the United States launch airstrikes on Venezuela before special forces captured the leftist leader, in the climax to a months-long pressure campaign.

He said that he originally gave the all clear for the operation to capture Maduro four days ago but that it was held up because of the weather, until Saturday.

“It was just amazing,” Trump said. “He was in a very highly guarded […] like a fortress actually. He was in a fortress.

“It had steel doors, it had what they call a safety space where it’s solid steel all around. He didn’t get that space closed, he was trying to get into it, but he got bum-rushed so fast that he didn’t get into that.

“We were prepared with massive blowtorches to get through the steel, but we didn’t need them.”

‘Not going to be pushed around’

Trump added that it was “amazing” that no US forces were killed, adding that a “couple of guys were hit, but they came back and they’re supposed to be in pretty good shape.”

A US helicopter was also damaged but flown out, he added.

Trump said the raid on Venezuela “sends a signal we’re not going to be pushed around as a country anymore” and warned Mexico that it too needed to crack down on drug traffickers.

US officials joined in the triumphalism, while brushing off concerns about whether the operation to capture a foreign leader was legal.

“You don’t get to avoid justice for drug trafficking in the United States because you live in a palace in Caracas,” Vice President JD Vance said on X.

He said Trump had given the Venezuelan leader “multiple off ramps” and added that Maduro was the “newest person to find out that President Trump means what he says.”

US Attorney General Pam Bondi said Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores had been indicted in the Southern District of New York on charges including “Narco-Terrorism Conspiracy,” conspiracy to import cocaine, and charges related to machineguns.

“They will soon face the full wrath of American justice on American soil in American courts,” Bondi said on X.

The indictment against Maduro was lodged in 2020 while the indictment against his wife was not previously known.

Trump’s administration in August doubled a reward for information leading to his capture to $50 million, accusing him of leading the alleged “Cartel of the Suns” drug trafficking organisation.

Trump has given differing arguments for his campaign against Venezuela, including the claim that the country is a major drug exporter to the United States and that Venezuela seized US oil interests.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio reposted a social media message from earlier this year in which he said Maduro was not the legitimate president of Venezuela following elections that international observers said were riddled with irregularities.

The Maduro capture — along with US strikes on Nigeria on Christmas Day — also come despite Trump billing himself as a “peace president” who should win the Nobel Prize.

Asked by reporters on New Year’s Eve what his resolution for 2026 was, Trump replied: “Peace on Earth.”

Kate Middleton’s cancer diagnosis might have broken her inside and rocked the palace, but it exposed the biggest truth about her marriage.

Royal experts believe Princess Catherine’s cancer changed Prince William’s mind and their relationship for good.

The horrific diagnosis brought the future monarch closer to his wife. William even turned into Kate’s life saving pill amid her health struggles and family challenges.

The mother-of-three’s announcement about cancer in March 2024 sent shockwaves across the globe as she revealed that she’s undergoing preventative chemotherapy.

The upsetting update reduced hundreds of fans and friends to tears. It also appeared to be a bombshell for William, who never stepped away from his partner until they defeated the disease.

Kate delighted fans as she revealed that she was cancer-free in September 2024, confirming in January 2025 that her cancer was in remission.

The couple had previously endured alleged marital difficulties. But their relationship appears to be stronger than ever during the difficult time at the family.

“There were ongoing rumours at one time that the marriage between William and Kate may not have been as blissful as publicly portrayed,” Pelham Turner, former royal photographer, told Fox News Digital.

Kate’s illness served as a powerful reminder for William of how central she’s to his life and rebuilt the emotional connection between the two.

“William has been known for his outbursts and Kate has found ways of calming the situation down but personally, I feel after the cancer diagnosis and the threat of losing her, the closeness was rekindled,” Turner said.

“And that is why decisions were made such as their quieter living accommodation rather than a palace to try and lead a normal family life have become their focus,” he added.

Some royal insiders and Palace aides also agreed that the two appeared more emotionally connected than before. Their relationship, focus on family and each other behind closed doors helped them cope with the alrming situation.

Since then William has become increasingly transparent, marking a shift from the past.

Pakistan’s left-handed middle order batter Imam-ul-Haq and his wife Anmol Mehmood have welcomed their first child into the world — a beautiful baby girl named Inara Haq.

Imam-ul-haq, 30, shared the news of their bundle of joy on social media with a picture of the baby, saying: “We are blessed with a baby girl, a precious gift and a new beginning.”

“Keep us in your prayers,” he penned on his Instagram post.

The couple chose the name “Inara” for their daughter, a name that has unique charm and brightness, which means “ray of light, said Imam, adding, “She truly is the light of our lives.”

Pakistani cricketer had tied the knot with Anmol Mehmood in a lavish wedding in Lahore in 2023, attended by a number of players.

Pictures and videos from the events, posted by the couple themselves, remained part of the discussions among fans, and their wedding attire stole the show during wedding season.

The pictures and videos were captured somewhere in a Scandinavian country that left fans amazed.