Op-ed views and opinions expressed are solely those of the author.

The law enforcement veteran and InVest USA founder discusses the arrest of Maduro and his wife, and what hopefully comes next.

For months, Nicolas Maduro has been taunting President Donald Trump, essentially screaming for authorities to “come and get him” over reported drug trafficking and narco-terrorism charges. Well, looks like it finally happened.

Venezuela was the target of a U.S. operation over the weekend, resulting in the capture of both Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. The two are currently facing charges in New York, with the U.S. temporarily running Venezuela in the meantime until better leadership can be found.

Of course, some people flocked online to note how Trump has “lost it” and feel this invasion was not necessary. But they’re merely blowing smoke for the real problem that lies within – that Maduro could very well be behind some of the worst drug trafficking our country has ever seen.

The laundry list of charges posted by Attorney General Pamela Bondi really puts everything into perspective.“Narco-Terrorism Conspiracy, Cocaine Importation Conspiracy, Possession of Machine Guns and Destructive Devices, and Conspiracy To Possess Machine Guns and Destructive Devices against the United States.” Does that sound like a peaceful president who deserves to be defended?

But I decided to dig a little deeper to see what else I could find. Hoo boy.

The indictment notes that, for more than 25 years, Venezuelan leaders acting under Maduro have “abused their positions of public trust and corrupted once-legitimate institutions to import tons of cocaine into the United States.”

Way back in 1999, Maduro and his team reportedly partnered with several drug trafficking organizations to bring these drugs into our country. What’s even worse is that, just a few years later, between 2006 and 2008, he produced Venezuelan diplomatic passports to known drug dealers “in order to assist traffickers seeking to move drug proceeds from Mexico to Venezuela under diplomatic cover.” Word has it he also arranged the flights of private planes under said cover to bring proceeds from Mexico back to Venezuela.

Oh, but we’re not done yet. The notes also state that the Maduros actually hired state-sponsored gangs to keep their operation from being exposed, resorting to “kidnappings, beatings, and murders against those who owed them drug money or otherwise undermined their drug trafficking operation.”

So, X posters that are mad at Trump over his “invasion” of Venezuela…do you understand now? Or are you still trying to blow smoke?

Though Maduro does have the opportunity to prove otherwise in court, this just sounds like a mess. A complete mess. He abused his power to the point that he had to spread it across another nation, using his influence and wealth in an effort to expand the drug trade into our country. And, once again, he reportedly had “state-sponsored gangs,” which is a term that I can’t believe even exists.

No wonder the U.S. government went digging for information and even offered a huge reward for information that eventually led to his arrest. This guy clearly had to be stopped before more people were squashed under his collective boot.

But the worst of it is over now, thank goodness. Maduro is now in the hands of U.S. justice and will face court charges soon enough. And I can only hope that his subordinates follow, just as he has, facing justice for their heinous actions.

Obviously, there’s still a lot of work to be done. You’ve still got the drug dealers out there, as well as the criminals that managed to seep into our country unnoticed, thanks to the actions of former President (and man who was clearly asleep on the job) Joe Biden.

But I believe in Trump, and I believe in the actions of the people who helped him stop this madman. We’re at a turning point for our country for the better, between what ICE is doing with tracking down and capturing violent illegal immigrants, and now the changing of Venezuela for the better.

2026 is getting off on the right foot, with Maduro finally facing the fire for his actions. My only hope is that this wave continues and gives us the motivation to move forward as a better nation. Happy New Year, indeed.

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Michael Letts

Michael A. Letts, Founder, President, and CEO of In-Vest USA, a national grassroots non-profit organization that is helping hundreds of communities provide thousands of bullet-proof vests for their police forces through educational, public relations, sponsorship, and fundraising programs.

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