Concerns about a potential “tip off” and general heightened security threats kept Vice President JD Vance away from the Situation Room during the capture of Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro and a post-capture presser. 

A spokesperson for the vice president told Daily Wire White House Correspondent Mary Margaret Olohan that Vance was “deeply integrated in the process and planning of the Venezuela strikes and Maduro’s arrest.”

Notably, the vice president also voiced his support for the operation and hit critics claiming Trump’s actions were “illegal.”

“Vice President Vance was deeply integrated in the process and planning of the Venezuela strikes and Maduro’s arrest,” the spokesperson said. “He joined several late-night meetings via secure video conference with National Security principals leading up to the operation. The Vice President briefly met with President Trump at the Trump golf club in West Palm Beach during the day Friday to discuss the strikes.”

“The Vice President was not at Mar-a-Lago on Friday night, as the National Security team was concerned a late-night motorcade movement by the Vice President while the operation was getting underway may tip off the Venezuelans,” the statement continued. “The Vice President joined by secure video conference throughout the night to monitor the operation.”

“Due to increased security concerns, the Administration has aimed to limit the frequency and duration of the Vice President and President being co-located away from the White House,” the spokesperson added. 

On Vice President Vance’s role in last night’s midnight raid in Venezuela, per a VP spox to @realDailyWire:

“Vice President Vance was deeply integrated in the process and planning of the Venezuela strikes and Maduro’s arrest.

He joined several late night meetings via secure…

— Mary Margaret Olohan (@MaryMargOlohan) January 3, 2026

Vance on Saturday posted on X that Maduro was offered “multiple off ramps,” but chose to ignore them. “Maduro is the newest person to find out that President Trump means what he says,” Vance said. “Kudos to our brave special operators who pulled off a truly impressive operation.”

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“And PSA for everyone saying this was ‘illegal’: Maduro has multiple indictments in the United States for narcoterrorism,” he added. “You don’t get to avoid justice for drug trafficking in the United States because you live in a palace in Caracas.”

And PSA for everyone saying this was “illegal”:

Maduro has multiple indictments in the United States for narcoterrorism. You don’t get to avoid justice for drug trafficking in the United States because you live in a palace in Caracas.

— JD Vance (@JDVance) January 3, 2026

On Saturday morning, Attorney General Pam Bondi announced that Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were indicted in the Southern District of New York. Maduro has been charged with Narco-Terrorism Conspiracy, Cocaine Importation Conspiracy, Possession of Machineguns and Destructive Devices, and Conspiracy to Possess Machineguns and Destructive Devices against the United States, the AG said.

“On behalf of the entire U.S. DOJ, I would like to thank President Trump for having the courage to demand accountability on behalf of the American People, and a huge thank you to our brave military who conducted the incredible and highly successful mission to capture these two alleged international narco traffickers,” Bondi added.

Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, have been indicted in the Southern District of New York. Nicolas Maduro has been charged with Narco-Terrorism Conspiracy, Cocaine Importation Conspiracy, Possession of Machineguns and Destructive Devices, and Conspiracy to Possess…

— Attorney General Pamela Bondi (@AGPamBondi) January 3, 2026

Related: General ‘Razin’ Caine Breaks Down Incredible Details Of Operation To Capture Maduro

U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan “Razin” Caine said on Saturday that the United States’ execution of the operation to capture of Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro was “months in the making.”

“This operation, known as Operation Absolute Resolve, was discreet, precise and conducted during the darkest hours of January 2, and was the culmination of months of planning and rehearsal — an operation that, frankly, only the United States military could undertake,” he said during a press conference.

Maduro, his wife, and four others have been charged with narco-terrorism conspiracy-related charges, according to an unsealed federal indictment posted online by U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi.

“While the past two decades have honed the skills of our special operations forces, this particular mission required every component of our joint force with soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines, and Guardians working in unison with our intelligence agency partners and law enforcement teammates in an unprecedented operation,” Gen. Caine explained.

“We leveraged our unmatched intelligence capabilities and our years of experience in hunting terrorists, and we could not have done this mission without the incredible work by various intelligence agencies, including the CIA, NSA, and NGA.”

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“This was an audacious operation that only the United States could do,” he continued. “It required the utmost of precision and integration within our joint force — and the word integration does not explain the sheer complexity of such a mission.”

The operation involved “150 aircraft launching across the Western Hemisphere in close coordination, all coming together in time and place to layer effects for a single purpose: to get an interdiction force into downtown Caracas while maintaining the element of tactical surprise,” Caine said.

“Failure of one component of this well-oiled machine would have endangered the entire mission, and failure is never an option for America’s joint force,” he added.

“Those in the air over Caracas last night were willing to give their lives for those on the ground and in the helicopters,” he added.

Gen. Dan “Razin” Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff: “This operation, known as Operation Absolute Resolve, was discreet, precise, and… the culmination of months of planning and rehearsal — an operation that, frankly, only the United States military could undertake.” pic.twitter.com/VdcL5kbu7j

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) January 3, 2026

Related: ‘Hour Of Liberty Has Arrived’: Venezuelan Opposition Leader Machado Takes Spotlight