• On January 3, 2026, the United States carried out a major military operation in Venezuela called Operation Absolute Resolve. U.S. forces attacked Venezuelan targets and captured President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, then took them to New York to face U.S. federal charges.
• The U.S. says the operation was to stop Maduro’s involvement in drug trafficking and narco-terrorism, based on long-standing indictments.
• Some U.S. lawmakers, international experts, and the U.N. criticized it as illegal because it used force without UN approval and brought down a foreign head of state.
Other real motivations reported
Many analysts point to a mix of reasons the U.S. government has publicly mentioned or that observers discuss:
• drug trafficking enforcement — the U.S. government says Maduro supported cartels.
• Venezuela’s oil and economic ties — the U.S. has interest in Venezuelan oil and economic leverage.
• geopolitical strategy — Maduro’s ties to Russia, Cuba, Iran and the region’s politics are part of the broader U.S. approach.
What’s the Epstein distraction theory?
Some people online claimed that the attack was timed to distract from news about the Jeffrey Epstein files or an alleged “client list,” suggesting the government wanted to shift public attention.
However:
• There’s no verified evidence that the U.S. military action was done to hide or bury Epstein-related information.
• Major news outlets do not report any direct link between the Epstein files and the Venezuela operation.
• Critics calling it a “distraction” are making a political argument — not presenting factual proof.
Why this is a conspiracy narrative
This theory is considered a conspiracy because:
✔ It connects two major events (Maduro’s capture and Epstein files) without proven evidence.
✔ It uses phrases like “explosive secrets” or “heart-trembling truths” without verifiable sources.
✔ Real reporting treats the timing as suspicious to some, but not as a concrete motive.
The U.S. attacked Venezuela and captured Maduro because the U.S. government says he was involved in drugs and is a threat.
Some people think the timing was meant to distract from other issues like the Epstein files, but there’s no proof of that — it’s a theory circulating on social media, not an established fact.
