• Sky News cites opposition insiders claiming capture was “negotiated exit” with United States
• Deal allegedly protected Maduro from Cuban special forces while enabling testimony against regime
• No U.S. casualties and minimal resistance raises questions about military involvement

CARACAS (TDR) — The dramatic capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores may have been a coordinated arrangement rather than a forced military extraction, according to opposition sources cited by Sky News.

Venezuelan opposition insiders told the British broadcaster that Saturday’s operation was part of a “negotiated exit” between Maduro and the United States designed to protect him from Cuban special forces while allowing him to testify against remaining members of the Venezuelan ruling circle.

The claim adds a dramatic new dimension to an already extraordinary operation that saw President Donald Trump announce Maduro’s capture hours after explosions rocked Caracas in the early morning darkness.

Freedom-Loving Beachwear by Red Beach Nation - Save 10% With Code RVM10

Zero U.S. Casualties Raise Questions

The assertion gains credibility from operational details that suggest minimal resistance during the raid. The New York Times reported zero U.S. casualties during the military operation, a remarkable outcome for what the Trump administration characterized as a large-scale strike against a heavily defended capital.

CBS News confirmed that Delta Force, the elite special operations unit, executed the capture early Saturday morning. The operation’s smooth execution without American losses suggests possible cooperation from within Maduro’s security apparatus.

“Judging by the fact that during the entire time of the special cowboy operation in Caracas, almost no shots were fired at American helicopters, planes and special forces, the entire Venezuelan army and special services” may have facilitated the operation, according to analysis cited by multiple international outlets.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE THE DUPREE REPORT

Senator Mike Lee (R-Utah) said Secretary of State Marco Rubio told him Maduro was “arrested by U.S. personnel to stand trial for criminal charges in the United States” and that military strikes were deployed to “protect and defend those executing the arrest warrant.”

Testimony Against Regime Officials

According to Sky News sources, the negotiated arrangement would ensure Maduro would not be killed by Cuban special forces who had been providing his personal security. In exchange, Maduro would allegedly testify against remaining Venezuelan ruling circle members, revealing their funding sources.

The claim suggests Maduro may have viewed capture by American forces as preferable to potential elimination by allies who might see him as a liability. Cuba has maintained close ties with Venezuela for decades, with Cuban intelligence and security personnel embedded throughout Maduro’s government.

Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez appeared on state television Saturday demanding “immediate proof of life” and insisting the government does not know the whereabouts of Maduro or his wife. The statement could represent genuine uncertainty or calculated misdirection in a coordinated transfer.

Colombian Diplomacy and Prior Signals

The negotiated exit theory aligns with diplomatic signals from recent months. In November, Colombian Foreign Minister Rosa Yolanda Villavicencio Mapy suggested Maduro’s negotiated exit from the presidency would be the “healthiest” option available, according to CNN reporting.

Colombia’s government later clarified the minister’s comment should not be construed as endorsing Maduro relinquishing power, emphasizing Colombia has no interest in interfering “in the internal affairs of other countries.” However, the statement revealed active discussions about potential exit scenarios.

A Colombian government source told CNN that Colombia did not know when or how the United States planned to make the capture, suggesting coordination occurred at highest levels while keeping regional allies informed but not directly involved.

Maduro’s Recent Overtures

Just days before his capture, Maduro indicated Venezuela was open to negotiating a deal with the United States to combat drug trafficking in a pretaped interview that aired Thursday. He said the U.S. wants to force government change in Venezuela and gain access to its vast oil reserves through the pressure campaign.

Maduro and Trump spoke by phone in November, a conversation that lasted approximately 10 minutes. “Trump called me on Friday, November 21, from the White House, while I was at the Miraflores Palace,” Maduro stated in his Thursday interview.

The timing of these communications, followed by Saturday’s operation, suggests possible backchannel negotiations that culminated in Maduro’s departure from Venezuela.

Historical Parallels to Noriega

The Maduro operation occurred exactly 36 years after U.S. forces captured Panamanian leader Manuel Noriega on January 3, 1990. Like Maduro, Noriega faced U.S. drug trafficking charges and was accused of colluding with Colombian cartels.

However, Noriega’s capture followed a full-scale invasion of Panama called Operation Just Cause, while Maduro’s extraction appears to have involved more surgical strikes and possible coordination with Venezuelan military elements.

The lack of widespread fighting in Caracas contrasts sharply with the intense combat that characterized the Panama operation, further supporting claims of a negotiated arrangement.

Defense Minister Remains Defiant

Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López appeared publicly Saturday, stating Venezuela “will not negotiate, will not surrender, and will ultimately win.” His survival and continued public presence suggests the operation targeted Maduro specifically rather than attempting to decapitate the entire Venezuelan command structure.

Attorney General Pam Bondi announced that Maduro and Flores have been indicted in the Southern District of New York on charges related to narcoterrorism, conspiracy to import cocaine, possession of machine guns and destructive devices.

Trump praised the operation’s execution, calling it “brilliant” with “a lot of good planning and a lot of great, great troops and great people” involved during a brief phone interview with The New York Times.

The veracity of the negotiated exit claims remains unconfirmed by U.S. officials, who have not publicly addressed the Sky News reporting. A scheduled 11 a.m. EST press conference at Mar-a-Lago may provide additional clarity on the operation’s true nature.

If Maduro’s capture was indeed negotiated rather than forced, what does this reveal about fractures within the Venezuelan regime and the role of Cuban security forces?

Freedom-Loving Beachwear by Red Beach Nation - Save 10% With Code RVM10