Trump asserts novel technology helped capture Nicolás Maduro
WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump said the United States used a classified weapon he referred to as “the Discombobulator” during the military operation that led to the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro earlier this month. Trump described the device as having rendered Venezuelan equipment “not work,” including foreign‑made defensive systems, in an interview published by international newspaper.
Trump said, “The Discombobulator. I’m not allowed to talk about it,” adding that it stopped Maduro’s forces from launching rockets during the early‑morning operation in Caracas. The president also confirmed broader military efforts, saying U.S. forces turned off “almost all of the lights in Caracas.”
However, U.S. officials and independent analysts indicate there is no publicly verified weapon formally called “the Discombobulator.” A senior U.S. official told CNN that Trump may be describing a combination of existing capabilities—such as cyber operations to disrupt early‑warning systems and acoustic or electromagnetic tools—rather than a single new device.
The U.S. military has previously developed nonlethal directed‑energy systems such as the Active Denial System, which emits high‑frequency energy to repel personnel over short ranges, though it is not confirmed whether such technology was used.
The revelation comes amid ongoing discussion about the methods used in the January 3 operation that resulted in Maduro’s capture and transfer to the United States to face criminal charges, as well as wider U.S. military actions targeting drug trafficking networks in the region.
