> At a Glance
> – Nicolás Maduro was captured by U.S. forces on January 3
> – MAGA influencers claim the move targets Venezuela’s role in 2020 election fraud
> – Trump and allies are amplifying unproven ties to Dominion and Smartmatic
> – Why it matters: Conspiracy theories are shaping public perception of a major foreign policy action
Conspiracy theorists are reframing the U.S. capture of Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro as a covert strike on the 2020 election, ignoring federal charges tied to drug trafficking and oil corruption.
From Narco-President to Vote-Rigging Kingpin
Within hours of Maduro’s January 3 arrest, Donald Trump flooded Truth Social with posts about Dominion Voting Systems. Supporters followed suit, recycling discredited claims that Smartmatic, a rival election-tech firm, helped Venezuela flip votes for Joe Biden.
- Chad Vivas, a QAnon promoter photographed with Trump, insisted the CIA outsources election rigging through Venezuelan software.
- Sean Davis, CEO of The Federalist, predicted Maduro will trade “evidence the 2020 election was stolen” for a lighter sentence.
- Jordan Sather told Telegram followers the Deep State used Venezuela to launder election-rigging tech.
A $800 Million Reminder
Dominion’s $787.5 million defamation win against Fox News in 2023 did little to dent the narrative. Trump even reposted Vivas’ X screenshot, prompting the influencer to brag, “Confirmation from the Boss.”
| Target | Claim | Legal Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Dominion | Rigged 2020 election | Fox paid $787.5 M settlement |
| Smartmatic | Venezuelan vote switch | Ongoing litigation |
| Maduro | Holds 2020 secrets | No evidence submitted |
Sidney Powell Returns
Sidney Powell, once Trump’s lead lawyer, first floated the Venezuela-Smartmatic link in November 2020. She’s now celebrating Maduro’s capture as proof of her unverified affidavits from a former Venezuelan military officer.
Emerald Robinson, host on Mike Lindell’s LindellTV, claims she, Powell, Lindell and Rudy Giuliani are being targeted for exposing the plot.
Key Takeaways
- U.S. authorities indicted Maduro on narco-terrorism and oil corruption, not election interference
- Trump and allies are amplifying debunked Venezuela-2020 links
- Dominion and Smartmatic deny any role in vote switching; courts have rejected claims
- The White House declined to comment on whether fraud allegations influenced the operation
The narrative shows how quickly disinformation can repackage a foreign policy strike into a domestic election revenge fantasy.
