Venezuelan leader's capture comes exactly 36 years after U.S. arrested Panamanian dictator Noriega

January 3, 2026

TL;DR

President Trump announced the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife.
The capture occurred 36 years after the U.S. arrested former Panamanian leader Manuel Noriega.
Noriega, once a CIA informant, led Panama and was eventually removed by U.S. military intervention in 1989.
Noriega was convicted of drug trafficking and money laundering, serving sentences in the U.S. and France before returning to Panama.
Representative Rick Crawford connected Maduro's arrest to Noriega's, emphasizing a stance against cartels controlling nations.
Crawford called for the Venezuelan people to reclaim their freedom.

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