U.S. President Donald Trump has publicly stated that a classified weapon system, which he referred to as the “Discombobulator,” was deployed during the January 3 U.S. military operation in Caracas that resulted in the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores.
In an interview with the New York Post, Trump said the secret system was used to disable Venezuelan defensive systems, including Russian- and Chinese-made rockets, as U.S. forces entered the capital, preventing any hostile response. “They never got their rockets off… they pressed buttons and nothing worked,” Trump told the newspaper, without providing technical details about the weapon.
Trump also acknowledged that he is not permitted to discuss specific aspects of the device, but asserted that it played a key role in the mission’s success, which saw no U.S. casualties.
Eyewitness accounts from Venezuelan security personnel cited in media reports describe sudden failure of radar and defensive systems during the assault, with claims of intense system disruptions that left many defenders unable to respond effectively. Some accounts have described the effects as resembling a powerful wave of energy or intense disruption.
Maduro and Flores are currently detained in the United States, awaiting trial on federal charges related to drug trafficking and weapons offenses. The operation has drawn international attention both for its bold execution and for Trump’s public comments about the classified technology allegedly used.
