Maduro's ‘fort’ before and after: Satellite pics show damage to Fuerte Tiuna from where Venezuela President was captured

Ruling party leader Nahum Fernandez said Maduri and his wife were at their home within the Fuerte Tiuna military installation when they were taken by US forces.

The United States, in a swift-yet-controversial military action, captured Venezuela President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, and flew them out of the country after a series of airstrikes. US President Donald Trump, in a briefing soon after, said that the Venezuelan leader and his wife have been flown to the US and that the Washington would run the country until a political transition takes place.

A satellite image shows a closer view of destroyed military buildings at Fort Tiuna after the U.S. strikes, in Caracas, Venezuela, January 3, 2026. (via REUTERS)

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What was left behind was a damaged Fuerte Tiuna, a key military facility in Caracas, which was hit by multiple explosions. During the 160-minute mission by air, land and sea, the US forces hit military and civilian targets across three states.

Following Maduro's capture, satellite images have emerged showing the damage caused by the US strikes in Fuerte Tiuna.

This satellite image provided by Vantor shows from left, the Fuerte Tiuna neighborhood of Caracas, Venezuela on Dec. 22, 2025 and Fuerte Tiuna neighborhood after U.S. strikes on Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026. (©2026 Vantor via AP) (AP)

The imagery, released by Vantor of January 3, shows the overview of Fuerte Tiuna, Venezuela's largest military complex, in Caracas.

A combination picture shows satellite images of a closer view of military buildings at Fort Tiuna before the U.S. strikes, in Caracas, Venezuela, December 22, 2025 (left), and a closer view of destroyed military buildings at Fort Tiuna after the U.S. strikes, in Caracas, Venezuela, January 3, 2026 (right). (via REUTERS)

Venezuela's Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez said residential areas were hit in the area of Fuerte Tiuna, Venezuela's largest military complex, situated in the south of Caracas, as well as in the states of Miranda, Aragua and La Guaira around the capital.

This combination of pictures shows a handout satellite image by Vantor taken on December 22, 2025, showing an overview of Fuerte Tiuna, Venezuela's largest military complex, in Caracas, and a handout satellite image by Vantor taken on January 3, 2026, showing an overview of Fuerte Tiuna, Venezuela's largest military complex, in Caracas, after a US military operation that led to the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. (AFP)

Ruling United Socialist Party of Venezuela leader Nahum Fernandez said Maduri and his wife were at their home within the Fuerte Tiuna military installation when they were taken by US forces.

After taking them into custody, Maduro and his wife were flown by helicopter to a US warship and taken to New York.

According to US officials, the operation, dubbed as “Absolute Resolve”, had been planned and rehearsed for months. Over 150 aircraft, including bombers, fighter jets and reconnaissance planes, were deployed through the course of the night, top US General Dan Caine said.

The explosions started in Caracas and surrounding areas shortly before 2:00 am (local times) and continued until around 3:15 am.

Trump, later in an interview, gave out the details of the operation, saying Maduro was “highly guarded” in a presidential palace akin to a “fortress” and he tried to get to a safe room but wasn’t able to get there in time.

He further said that the US forces practiced the operation ahead of time on a replica building, adding that the American forces turned off “almost all of the lights in Caracas,” without elaborating how it was done.