INTERNACIONAL
US raid in Venezuela signals deterrence to adversaries on three fronts, experts say
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The U.S. operation to capture Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro has ignited sharp debate in Washington and abroad over whether the move undermines international norms — or delivers a deliberate deterrent message to rivals like China and Russia.
Critics argue that seizing the leader of a sovereign nation risks setting a dangerous precedent — one adversaries could cite to justify their own military actions beyond their borders.
«My main concern now is that Russia will use this to justify their illegal and barbaric military actions against Ukraine, or China to justify an invasion of Taiwan,» Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., said in a statement.
«What will we say now if Putin tries to capture Zelenskyy?» Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., asked.
Others counter that such norms have never constrained Moscow or Beijing, and that deterrence is shaped less by legal arguments than by demonstrations of power, speed and capability.
The U.S. operation to capture Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro has ignited a sharp debate in Washington and abroad: whether the show of American reach deters rivals like Russia and China or risks giving them cover to justify their own moves beyond their borders. (XNY/Star Max/GC Images via Getty Images)
TOPPLING MADURO WAS EASY — GOVERNING VENEZUELA COULD TRAP US FOR YEARS
«I don’t think Putin or Xi ever doubted that power overrides sovereignty,» said Pedro Garmendia, a Washington-based geopolitical risk analyst. «What we’ve seen consistently from China and Russia is that they use rhetoric around international law when it suits them and ignore it when it doesn’t.»
Lethality
For U.S. adversaries, the most jarring signal may not be diplomatic fallout but the stark demonstration of American lethality.
The operation resulted in the deaths of dozens of Venezuelan and Cuban security personnel, according to Venezuelan and Cuban authorities, as U.S. forces pushed through layers of armed resistance protecting Maduro. Cuban officials acknowledged the loss of multiple military and intelligence personnel deployed in Venezuela, while Venezuelan authorities confirmed heavy casualties among elite security units. Independent estimates place the total death toll — security forces and civilians combined — at several dozen.
President Donald Trump publicly acknowledged the nature of the mission, describing it afterward as a violent operation by necessity, given the threat environment and the presence of armed foreign forces embedded within Maduro’s security apparatus. Trump argued the level of force reflected the reality of penetrating a defended capital and preventing Maduro from escaping or rallying loyalist units.
Analysts say that willingness to use decisive force — and to own it publicly — carries its own deterrent value.
Garmendia noted that Venezuela was no marginal partner for U.S. adversaries.
«Both countries have invested tens of billions of dollars in the Chávez and then Maduro regime,» he said. «Having the leader of that regime captured and taken into U.S. custody so suddenly — especially when a Chinese special envoy had just met with Maduro hours before — is frankly embarrassing to both countries.»
«My main concern now is that Russia will use this to justify their illegal and barbaric military actions against Ukraine, or China to justify an invasion of Taiwan,» Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., said in a statement. (Alexander Nemenov/AFP/Getty Images)
Execution
Beyond casualties, the operation sent a second signal through its execution: speed, precision and deep preparation.
U.S. special operations forces spent months rehearsing the raid, including training on a full-scale replica of Maduro’s compound. CIA officers built a detailed picture of Maduro’s daily routines — tracking when he slept, where he traveled, how his security rotated and which locations offered the narrowest escape routes.
That intelligence allowed planners to identify a precise window when Maduro was most vulnerable. Airspace suppression, rapid insertion and coordinated ground movement unfolded in minutes, denying Venezuelan and allied forces time to respond effectively.
Trump later pointed to that preparation as evidence the operation was deliberate rather than impulsive, arguing that speed and overwhelming force were essential to prevent Maduro from slipping away or turning the operation into a prolonged firefight.
AFTER MADURO, VENEZUELA POWER VACUUM EXPOSES BRUTAL INSIDERS AND ENFORCERS
Former FBI counterintelligence operative Eric O’Neill said those details are likely to matter more to Beijing and Moscow than legal debates at the United Nations.
«At least while Trump is in office, it’s going to look a lot like deterrence to China and Russia,» O’Neill said. «They didn’t even get a chance to blink before Maduro was gone.»
O’Neill added that the execution underscored a broader message.
«That sends a strong signal that the United States can find its adversaries anywhere in the world,» he said, arguing rivals already inclined to violate international norms are unlikely to be emboldened by an action they lack the capability to replicate.
Experience
The final deterrent signal lies in experience: the institutional ability to plan and execute complex, intelligence-driven operations built on decades of counterterrorism and special operations campaigns.
U.S. officials point to the seamless integration of intelligence collection, rehearsal, logistics and kinetic force as evidence of a mature operational system that can be activated with little warning — an advantage adversaries must assume exists even when they cannot see it.
Concern has nevertheless been echoed by international institutions.
Ravina Shamdasani, chief spokesperson for the U.N. human rights office, warned the operation could weaken global norms.
«It sends a signal that the powerful can do whatever they like,» Shamdasani said, arguing the intervention «damages the architecture of international security and makes every country less safe.»
China said it was «deeply shocked,» condemning what it called the U.S.’s «blatant use of force against a sovereign state and its action against its president,» and claiming it «seriously violates international law» and threatens stability in Latin America and the Caribbean.
The criticism comes as Beijing has intensified military pressure on Taiwan, including near-daily air incursions and large-scale exercises meant to signal its own willingness to use force.
Beijing said it was «deeply shocked» by the action, with the foreign ministry condemning what it called the U.S.’s «blatant use of force against a sovereign state and its action against its president.» (Lintao Zhang/Getty Images)
Russia likewise denounced the U.S. operation at the United Nations as a violation of sovereignty and international law, even as it continues its war in Ukraine while rejecting international legal judgments and condemnation.
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For U.S. strategists, that contrast reinforces the intended message: adversaries may invoke international law rhetorically, but what shapes their calculations is demonstrated capability — especially when paired with the experience to plan, rehearse and execute without warning.
russia,china,venezuelan political crisis,donald trump,xi jinping,vladimir putin
INTERNACIONAL
Le robó la identidad a su amiga para sacar un préstamo millonario, la asesinó y simuló un crimen sexual: el caso de «Angie» Molina
El cuerpo de una mujer fue encontrado en febrero de 2008 en un departamento alquilado en el barrio de Gracia, en Barcelona. La víctima estaba desnuda, recostada sobre un sillón, con una bolsa de plástico colocada en la cabeza y cinta adhesiva ajustada alrededor del cuello.
El lugar estaba ordenado y no presentaba signos de pelea ni de ingreso forzado, una escena que desde el inicio llamó la atención de los investigadores por su aparente prolijidad y por los indicios de una muerte planificada.
Leé también: Contrató a un sicario para matar a su esposo pero la policía la descubrió tras un operativo de película
Con el avance de la investigación, la Justicia estableció que la víctima era Ana María Páez Capitán, una diseñadora de moda de 36 años, y que detrás del crimen no había un hecho casual ni un ataque impulsivo.
Poco después se descubrió que María Ángeles Molina, una de las mejores amigas de la mujer asesinada, planificó el homicidio durante días mientras llevaba a cabo una rutina común y sin levantar sospechas.
El macabro hallazgo y las primeras dudas
El 19 de febrero de 2008, una empleada de limpieza ingresó a un departamento que había ido alquilado por pocos días. En el living encontró el cuerpo de una mujer recostada sobre un sillón. En el piso había una peluca negra y un par de botas de caña alta.
El lugar estaba ordenado, no había signos de pelea ni de ingreso forzado. Tampoco se encontraron documentos, billetera ni un celular que permitieran identificar rápidamente a la víctima. La Policía constató que la mujer llevaba varios días muerta.
Horas después, los investigadores constataron que se trataba de Ana Páez Capitán, a quien su familia estaba buscando desde hace días tras perder contacto con ella. Ana había dicho que la noche que desapareció iba a cenar con una amiga, María Ángeles Molina.
Angie junto a su marido. (Foto: La Tercera)
Molina declaró ante la Policía que el encuentro nunca se había concretado y aseguró que había viajado a Zaragoza para retirar las cenizas de su madre y que no sabía nada del paradero de Ana. Incluso asistió al funeral y acompañar a la familia, sin despertar sospechas en ese momento.
Sin embargo, los investigadores comenzaron a detectar inconsistencias. Por un lado, los familiares de Páez indicaron que ella no tenía en su entorno a nadie a quien pudiera considerar su “enemigo”.
A su vez, se descubrió que el alquiler del departamento había sido abonado con una tarjeta vinculada a la víctima, pero había movimientos bancarios posteriores a la fecha en la que Ana ya estaba desaparecida.
La autopsia determinó que la causa de muerte había sido asfixia. No hubo signos de abuso sexual ni de defensa, ni tampoco lesiones compatibles con una pelea. Para los forenses, la víctima habría sido atacada cuando se encontraba confiada o incapacitada para resistirse.
En un primer momento, se evaluó la posibilidad de una muerte accidental en un contexto sexual, pero esa hipótesis fue descartada rápidamente. De algo estaban seguros: el cuerpo había sido manipulado y la escena parecía preparada para desviar la investigación.
Una prueba clave y un asesinato planificado
El punto de quiebre de la causa llegó cuando los investigadores analizaron las cámaras de seguridad de una sucursal bancaria. El mismo día de la desaparición de Ana, una mujer había retirado dinero de su cuenta.
En las imágenes se veía claramente a una mujer con pelo negro realizando la operación. En cuanto el video fue mostrado a la pareja de Páez, la respuesta fue inmediata: no era Ana, era María Ángeles Molina usando una peluca.
A partir de ese momento, la investigación se concentró en ella y la Justicia ordenó un allanamiento en su casa. Allí, los efectivos encontraron documentación personal de la víctima, tarjetas bancarias, fotocopias relacionadas a sus finanzas y varias pelucas. De esta manera, se estableció la hipótesis de que María Ángeles, apodada como “Angie”, había suplantado la identidad de su amiga durante meses.
Angie Molina se convirtió en la principal sospechosa tras una prueba clave. (Foto: La Sexta)
Con esos datos, había solicitado créditos, realizado movimientos financieros y contratado seguros de vida a nombre de Páez por un monto cercano al millón de euros. Parte de ese dinero ya había sido cobrado antes del homicidio.
Para los investigadores, el móvil era económico ya que Molina necesitaba dinero y había construido una doble vida usando la identidad de su amiga.
Según la reconstrucción de los hechos, Angie citó a su amiga en el departamento con una excusa y la habría sedado con una sustancia que no pudo ser identificada. Luego, la asfixió con una bolsa de plástico y después construyó una escena del crimen.
Para reforzar la teoría de una “práctica sexual que salió mal”, Molina había contratado previamente a trabajadores sexuales, a quienes pagó para obtener muestras de semen que conservó en frascos. Luego las utilizó para contaminar el cuerpo de la víctima. La idea era que se creyera que Ana había participado de un trío sexual y que murió en ese contexto.
El juicio y la condena
María Ángeles Molina fue detenida en marzo de 2008, pocas semanas después del crimen, luego de que los investigadores reunieran pruebas que la ubicaban en el centro de la maniobra.
Al ser detenida, declaró por primera vez ante la Justicia y sostuvo que no tenía relación con la muerte de Ana María Páez. En su lugar, aseguró que ese día se encontraba en Zaragoza, donde había viajado para retirar las cenizas de su madre, según su versión.
Desde el inicio, afirmó que era víctima de una investigación injusta y negó de manera reiterada cualquier participación en el homicidio. María Ángeles Molina fue acusada de fingir la muerte de su amiga para quedarse con su fortuna. (Foto: El Mundo)
El juicio comenzó en marzo de 2012 y se llevó a cabo en la Audiencia de Barcelona, tras pasar casi cuatro años de prisión preventiva. Durante las audiencias, la fiscalía expuso un entramado de pruebas que incluyó registros bancarios, imágenes de cámaras de seguridad, documentos falsificados y testimonios clave que demostraron la suplantación de identidad de la víctima y la planificación del crimen.
Angie Molina declaró en su defensa, volvió a proclamarse inocente y afirmó que no tenía motivos económicos para matar a su amiga, aunque la acusación sostuvo que el objetivo era cobrar seguros de vida y créditos contratados a nombre de Ana.
Leé también: Un adolescente asesinó a puñaladas a su hermana gemela y dijo que lo hizo mientras estaba sonámbulo
Finalmente, en 2012, la Audiencia de Barcelona la condenó a 22 años de prisión por el homicidio de Ana María Páez y por los delitos vinculados a la falsificación de documentos.
Sin embargo, el Tribunal Supremo revisó el fallo y redujo la pena a 18 años al considerar que no había quedado probado de forma absoluta que la víctima se encontrara completamente indefensa al momento del ataque, lo que llevó a recalificar el delito.
Molina fue trasladada a la cárcel de Mas d’Enric, ubicada en la provincia de Tarragona, donde continúa cumpliendo su condena, que está prevista que finalice en 2027.
España, Asesinato, amiga
INTERNACIONAL
Conservative justice swipes at DOJ in trans sports case: ‘I don’t think you’re a PhD in this stuff’
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Justice Neil Gorsuch pressed the Department of Justice on Tuesday about the potential nationwide consequences of a Supreme Court ruling allowing states to ban transgender athletes who identify as women from competing in women’s and girls’ sports.
Gorsuch grilled Principal Deputy Solicitor General Hashim Mooppan, who appeared on behalf of the government, during oral arguments about a case examining West Virginia’s Save Women’s Sports Act. Gorsuch asked Mooppan how a decision in favor of West Virginia’s law, which blocked biological boys from participating in girls’ sports, would jibe with Title IX and the Constitution’s equal protection clause.
Gorsuch used a hypothetical involving other academic programs to test how far sex-based distinctions could extend under Title IX, which bans sex-based discrimination in education.
SUPREME COURT WEIGHS STATES’ POWER TO SET SEX-BASED RULES IN SCHOOL SPORTS
Associate Justice Neil Gorsuch stands during a group photo at the Supreme Court in Washington, April 23, 2021. (Erin Schaff/The New York Times via AP, Pool, File)
«What about the hypothetical I posed earlier that, when it comes to high school performance, girls sure are a lot better than boys, and so we’re only going to have remedial classes for boys, and girls aren’t free to attend. … Let’s say I’ve got really good science,» Gorsuch said. «I mean, it’s all about the science, right? I got the science.»
Mooppan said that while men and women are typically equal under laws and the Constitution, «real, enduring obvious differences» mattered in sports. Mooppan sought to dismiss any «pseudoscience» Gorsuch was suggesting.
«With all respect, I don’t think there’s any science anywhere that is suggesting that these sort of intellectual differences are traceable to biological differences,» he said.
Gorsuch shot back: «With respect, I don’t think you’re a PhD in this stuff, and neither – I know I’m not, but I’m asking to deal with a hypothetical.»
A demonstrator holds a sign outside the Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026. (Kent Nishimura/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Gorsuch continued to question how potentially allowing West Virginia to discriminate on the basis of sex was possible in sports but not in other areas of education.
«The statute says no discrimination on the basis of sex, and you’re saying, ‘yeah, it’s okay when they’re not similarly situated.’ And when you’re worried about locker rooms, great. I appreciate that, but I’m worried about that math remedial class or the chess club or whatever,» Gorsuch said.
Gorsuch was more confrontational with the states and the DOJ than the other Republican-appointed justices. At one point, however, he observed an increase in recent decades in women and girls participating in sports and grappled with the idea that transgender athletes competing with them could potentially «undermine» that progress.
Appointed by President Donald Trump in 2017, Gorsuch famously wrote the majority opinion in another case about gender identity, Bostock v. Clayton County. Gorsuch sided in that case with the liberal justices and Chief Justice John Roberts, resulting in a 6-3 decision that employees cannot be discriminated against based on sex, and that sex included sexual orientation and gender identity.
Gorsuch repeatedly raised that decision Tuesday, asking Mooppan at one point: «Bostock does not control here because – fill in the blank.»
WASHINGTON POST URGES SUPREME COURT TO ‘SAVE WOMEN’S SPORTS’ AHEAD OF MAJOR TRANS ATHLETE CASE
A protester drapes themselves in a transgender pride flag outside the Supreme Court as it hears arguments over state laws barring transgender girls and women from playing on school athletic teams, Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson) (Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP)
West Virginia attorneys argued in court papers that Bostock was irrelevant to their case because Bostock dealt with Title VII, which governs discrimination in the workplace, whereas Title IX deals with education, where «biological differences are critical to athletic fairness.» Sex was less relevant in the workplace than in education, they argued.
West Virginia v. B.P.J. centers on a 15-year-old transgender athlete who identifies as a girl and who argued the state’s ban violated both the Constitution and Title IX.
The case was one of two the Supreme Court heard on Tuesday about state laws that ban transgender athletes who identify as female from participating in sports exclusive to women or girls. The conservative justices largely appeared sympathetic to those laws, but it was not immediately clear where each of them would land on the issue.
A decision by the court, expected by early summer, could have far-reaching impacts.
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A ruling in favor of the states could not only uphold their bans and those in some two dozen other states but could also influence other transgender policy disputes, such as bathroom policies and sex designation on documents, including passports and driver’s licenses.
A ruling in favor of the transgender plaintiffs could serve to limit states’ ability to adopt similar bans and broaden interpretations of federal anti-discrimination laws.
supreme court,judiciary,sports
INTERNACIONAL
South Korean prosecutor seeks death penalty for ex-President Yoon over martial law declaration: ‘Self-coup’
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A South Korean court heard arguments Tuesday seeking the death penalty for former President Yoon Suk Yeol, as prosecutors accused the ousted leader of orchestrating a rebellion through his controversial martial law declaration in December 2024.
Independent counsel Cho Eun-suk asked the Seoul Central District Court to impose the sentence, arguing that Yoon’s actions amounted to «anti-state activities» and describing the decree as a «self-coup.»
Yoon, a conservative who was removed from office last spring, remains in custody while facing multiple criminal proceedings tied to the martial law episode and other controversies from his presidency. Prosecutors say the rebellion charge carries the most severe potential punishment.
SOUTH KOREAN PROSECUTORS INDICT IMPEACHED PRESIDENT WHO DECLARED MARTIAL LAW
Then South Korea’s ousted former President Yoon Suk Yeol, who is facing charges of orchestrating a rebellion when he declared martial law on Dec. 3, arrives to attend his trial at the Seoul Central District Court in Seoul, South Korea, Monday, May 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)
Cho’s team argued in court that Yoon sought to prolong his hold on power by undermining South Korea’s constitutional system of governance.
Yoon has rejected the accusations, telling the court that the investigations into his conduct have been «frenzied» and marked by «manipulation» and «distortion.»
He has maintained that the declaration of martial law was intended to alert the public to what he viewed as the growing threat posed by the opposition Democratic Party, which used its legislative majority to block his political agenda.
Former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol faces eight trials over various criminal charges in connection with his controversial martial law decree and other scandals. (AP)
Yoon argued that the exercise of presidential emergency powers cannot be treated as rebellion under the law.
The court is expected to deliver a verdict next month. Legal experts have said a life sentence is more likely than execution, noting that South Korea has not carried out a death penalty since 1997.
SOUTH KOREAN PRESIDENT REMOVED FROM OFFICE FOUR MONTHS AFTER DECLARING MARTIAL LAW
Former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol criticized investigations on his rebellion charges, saying they have been «frenzied» and that they have involved «manipulation» and «distortion.» (AP)
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Yoon is the first South Korean president who has faced a potential death penalty after leaving office since Chun Doo-hwan was sentenced to death in 1996 for various crimes. Chun’s death sentence was later commuted to life in prison, and he was subsequently pardoned and freed.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
south korea,asia world regions,world,politics,crime
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Le robó la identidad a su amiga para sacar un préstamo millonario, la asesinó y simuló un crimen sexual: el caso de «Angie» Molina
Conservative justice swipes at DOJ in trans sports case: ‘I don’t think you’re a PhD in this stuff’
South Korean prosecutor seeks death penalty for ex-President Yoon over martial law declaration: ‘Self-coup’
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