The sight of Nicolás Maduro in U.S. custody after a daring January 3, 2026 operation shocked the world and forced a reckoning about both criminal accountability and America’s willingness to defend its interests. President Trump’s administration framed the move as a law-enforcement action against an alleged narco-terrorist, while the operation immediately became the center of international controversy.
Across major American cities, loud anti-Trump demonstrations sprang up almost instantly, with left-wing and anti-war groups denouncing the operation as an unlawful act of imperialism. Those protests were highly visible — banners, chants, and organized marches swarmed Times Square and the White House perimeter — but the personnel behind them were overwhelmingly domestic activist networks, not Venezuelan exiles.
That distinction matters. Photographs and on-the-ground reports show the rallies were largely led by groups like the Party for Socialism and Liberation and other hard-left organizers, not by Venezuelan nationals demanding Maduro’s return. Meanwhile, Venezuelan communities in places like Miami, New York, and parts of Latin America were celebrating what many saw as the long-overdue arrest of a brutal regime figure.
Conservatives should call out the moral inversion: activists who howl about “sovereignty” and “imperialism” today were the same people who appeased and normalized tyrants for years. It’s easy to posture about international law from Manhattan sidewalks when you haven’t lived under socialism, faced economic collapse, or watched an enemy cartel flood our streets with drugs.
Let’s be clear about the stakes. The administration says this was not about showmanship but about bringing a suspected international narcotics kingpin to justice on U.S. soil — a move grounded in indictments and federal charges rather than mere bravado. If Maduro trafficked drugs and funded terror networks, the United States has a duty to hold him accountable and protect American communities from cartel violence.
Predictably, the international chorus decried the operation, with the United Nations and several nations warning about precedent and instability. Conservatives don’t have to celebrate diplomatic headaches to applaud the enforcement of law: we can insist on toughness while also demanding patience, clear legal footing, and a plan for regional stability after decades of failed leftist governance in Venezuela.
At bottom, this moment revealed two Americas: one that wants order, accountability, and borders defended, and another that reflexively defends any anti-American cause under the banner of “anti-imperialism.” Patriots who love liberty should stand with Venezuelans who have fled tyranny and rejoice when justice is served, while demanding that our leaders pair strength with sober legal strategy and a clear plan to help the Venezuelan people build a free, prosperous future.
