President Donald Trump disclosed in an exclusive interview with the New York Post that a classified U.S. weapon nicknamed "The Discombobulator" played a pivotal role in the successful January 3 raid that led to the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro.
During the Oval Office conversation, Trump described the device as a secret technology that rendered enemy equipment inoperable. He stated that Venezuelan forces, equipped with Russian and Chinese rockets, were unable to launch any defenses as U.S. helicopters approached Caracas. "They never got their rockets off," Trump said. "They had Russian and Chinese rockets, and they never got one off. We came in, they pressed buttons and nothing worked. They were all set for us."
The operation involved approximately eight helicopters and about 20 U.S. troops, who arrested Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, on federal charges related to drug trafficking and weapons. No American personnel were lost in the mission.
Accounts from Maduro's former security detail paint a dramatic picture of the weapon's effects. One guard reported that radar systems suddenly failed, followed by the arrival of drones and helicopters. He described an intense, unexplained phenomenon, possibly a powerful sound wave or energy pulse, that caused severe disorientation. "Suddenly I felt like my head was exploding from the inside," the witness recounted. "We all started bleeding from the nose. Some were vomiting blood. We fell to the ground, unable to move."
Trump confirmed the weapon's involvement when questioned about reports linking pulsed energy devices to symptoms associated with "Havana Syndrome." He noted, "The Discombobulator. I’m not allowed to talk about it," while expressing enthusiasm for discussing it further if permitted.
Maduro, 63, is currently detained in a federal jail in Brooklyn, New York, awaiting trial on narcoterrorism charges. Delcy Rodríguez, Maduro's former vice president, has assumed the role of interim leader in Venezuela. Trump praised the new administration, saying, "We have a great relationship with the new president. She’s been terrific."