Venezuelans in Southwest Florida celebrate capture of Nicolás Maduro

FORT MYERS, Fla. — At first, Eric Tovar thought it was AI.

"I thought it was fake," Tovar told FOX 4.

But after learning the United States had, in fact, captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, Tovar said he hasn't stopped celebrating.

Tovar and his family were some of the Venezuelans who gathered at Fort Myers Centennial Park on Saturday morning to celebrate news of the U.S. operation.

The U.S. conducted a “large-scale strike” early Saturday in Venezuela and captured its president, Nicolás Maduro, flying him and his wife out of the country, President Donald Trump said. Videos showed multiple explosions and low-flying aircraft in Caracas, the capital.

Hours after the operation, President Trump said that the U.S. would "run the country" until there is a proper transition.

Some Venezuelans told FOX 4 they've waited decades for this moment.

“In my country, now, the situation is very hard because they can’t celebrate nothing," said Cape Coral nurse Ileana Avendano. "That’s why we are here.”

WFTX

Avendano, who is from Venezuela, said she lived in the U.S. for the past 22 years. She said the American flag draped over her Venezuelan baseball jersey is a sign of gratitude for what she called a new life - and new hope.

Some Venezuelans who gathered at Centennial Park described Maduro as a "dictator" and "terrorist" who persecuted political enemies and destroyed the economy.

CNN reports the United Nations (UN) found the Maduro regime used excessive force, arbitrary detentions of protesters, sexual violence, torture, and extrajudicial executions to silence opposition.

“The mission found reasonable grounds to believe that authorities and security forces have planned and executed large-scale human rights violations since 2014," a 2020 UN mission report said.

22-year-old Eric Tovar said his family migrated to the United States 12 years ago. Tovar said his father, Rohel, is a pastor who was forced to flee Venezuela after opposition to the government.

WFTX

The Tovars started Naples-based nonprofit Casa Venezuela en Southwest Florida. Tovar said the group supports Venezuelans navigating the immigration process and builds a sense of community.

The group also sends financial assistance, clothes, and medical supplies to churches back in Venezuela, Tovar said. He said many families in Venezuela struggle to purchase basic groceries.

“You would have to wait in line for hours [at the grocery store]," Tovar said. "You’re talking about a maybe ten-plus hour wait.”

After the attack, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi confirmed that Maduro would be tried in the United States in New York. Maduro had previously been indicted in 2020 for drug-related charges. At the time, the U.S. had offered up to a $15 million reward for Maduro's arrest; the U.S. had since increased the amount to $50 million.

“Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, have been indicted in the Southern District of New York,” Bondi said. “Maduro has been charged with narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy, possession of machine guns and destructive devices, and conspiracy to possess machine guns and destructive devices against the United States.”

The U.S. launched strikes against what leaders said were drug boats in the Caribbean since September, including off the coast of Venezuela. However, the U.S. has not publicly shared any evidence the boats carried drugs.

Venezuelans in Fort Myers acknowledged uncertainty about what happens next. Tovar told FOX 4 he supports U.S. forces in Venezuela and would like to see a democratic government take office.

“I used to think that maybe my kids or my grand kids would get to step back in Venezuela in a free country," Tovar said. "But tonight - today - marks a new hope that maybe I get to walk back home in a place that’s even better than what I left it, so we’re extremely excited.”