United States President Donald Trump has claimed that a previously undisclosed military weapon played a decisive role in the dramatic U.S. military operation that led to the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro earlier this month.
Speaking in an exclusive Oval Office interview with The New York Post, Trump said the device — which he referred to as “The Discombobulator” — disabled enemy defenses during the January 3 raid in Caracas, allowing U.S. forces to extract Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, without American casualties.
“The Discombobulator. I’m not allowed to talk about it,” Trump told The Post. “I would love to.”
Trump said the weapon rendered Venezuelan air defense systems useless as U.S. helicopters moved in, preventing the launch of what he described as Russian- and Chinese-made rockets.
“They never got their rockets off. They had Russian and Chinese rockets, and they never got one off. We came in, they pressed buttons and nothing worked.”
According to Trump, the weapon disrupted both radar and weapons systems, clearing the way for a small U.S. force to land and secure Maduro in a rapid nighttime operation.
Accounts from the ground
Witnesses cited by Fox News described sudden system failures among Maduro’s security forces moments before drones and helicopters appeared overhead. One member of the former president’s security detail said all radar systems abruptly shut down without warning.
“At one point, they launched something; I don’t know how to describe it. It was like a very intense sound wave. Suddenly I felt like my head was exploding from the inside,” the witness said, according to Fox News.
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The guard claimed that multiple defenders began bleeding from the nose and vomiting blood, collapsing to the ground and unable to move.
“We all started bleeding from the nose. Some were vomiting blood. We fell to the ground, unable to move,” he added. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”
Trump later acknowledged the weapon again during an appearance on NewsNation’s Katie Pavlich Tonight on January 21, confirming it was used during the operation but refusing to provide technical details. “Nobody else has it,” Trump said. “But we have weapons nobody else knows about.”
International concern and casualties
As questions mounted about the nature of the weapon, Russia demanded further clarification. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Moscow had instructed its special services to gather more information about Trump’s remarks.
Sonic and energy-based weapons, while not explicitly banned under international law, are controversial due to their potential to cause long-term neurological and hearing damage.
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Venezuela’s Interior Minister claimed that at least 100 people were killed during the assault on Maduro’s compound, according to Reuters, though it remains unclear whether the reported casualties were directly linked to the alleged sonic weapon.
U.S. lawmakers have also raised legal questions about the operation, including the authority under which Maduro was captured and transferred to the United States.
Trump speaks on oil control and post-Maduro plans
Trump’s comments come as his administration moves to assert control over Venezuela’s oil industry following Maduro’s removal. In the interview with The New York Post, Trump said the U.S. had seized oil from seven Venezuelan tankers and redirected it to American refineries.
“I’m not allowed to tell you,” Trump said when asked about the ships’ locations. “But let’s put it this way, they don’t have any oil. We take the oil.”
Maduro, 63, is currently being held in a federal jail in Brooklyn on narcoterrorism charges. His former vice president, Delcy Rodríguez, is serving as Venezuela’s interim leader, whom Trump said he has a positive working relationship with.
The U.S. plans to sell up to 50 million barrels of Venezuelan crude at market prices, while American oil firms consider major investments to rehabilitate the country’s energy sector.
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