Caracas (OrinocoTribune.com)—Eight months after the United States invaded Venezuela and kidnapped President Nicolás Maduro and First Lady and National Assembly Deputy Cilia Flores, US President Donald Trump published a triumphalist video celebrating the military operation and recycling a deceptively edited clip of the Venezuelan president.The January 3 US invasion killed over 100 people, including 47 Venezuelan soldiers and 32 Cuban military and security personnel.Trump shared the video without any accompanying text or explanation at 11:13 p.m. Eastern time on Friday, September 11, a sensitive day for US audiences due to the 9/11 terrorist attack.The publication came less than eight weeks before the November 3 US midterm elections and amid the Trump administration’s continued expansion of its so-called counterterrorism operations throughout Latin America and the Caribbean.Just months ago, Trump stopped by El Arepazo in Doral to pander to the local Venezuelan community, while right-wing gusano exiles practically begged him to target President Maduro. Now, mass deportations are targeting those very same Venezuelans once their political utility… pic.twitter.com/bugwjOxdGC— Orinoco Tribune (@OrinocoTribune) September 13, 2026Some analysts have interpreted the post as an electoral propaganda move intended to project military power, mobilize Trump’s far-right base, and intimidate Latin American countries that could become new targets of US aggression.Just one day earlier, Washington formally added the Ecuadorian criminal organization Los Tiguerones to its list of foreign terrorist organizations, bringing the number of Latin American and Caribbean groups with the designation to 21. The Trump administration has repeatedly used its “narco-terrorism” framework to justify sanctions, extraterritorial military operations, and lethal imperialist attacks across the region.President Maduro’s statement deceptively editedAccompanied by dramatic music, Trump’s video begins with President Maduro declaring, “Come for me,” and “I’ll be waiting for you here in Miraflores.” The montage then cuts to footage of the January 3 bombings and the press conference at which Trump announced the kidnapping of the Venezuelan president.General Dan Caine, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, is heard saying that the operation was conducted “on the order of the president of the United States.” The recording also includes statements from Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth, Trump, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio praising the power of the US Armed Forces.Rubio describes Trump as a president who does more than “talk, send letters, and hold press conferences,” before closing with an openly threatening message directed at Washington’s adversaries.“Don’t play games,” Rubio says. “Don’t play games when this president is in office, because it’s not going to turn out well.”The editing creates the false impression that Maduro had challenged Trump or invited the United States to capture him. In reality, his remarks were made on July 30, 2024, and were directed at far-right former presidential candidate Edmundo González Urrutia amid the political violence that followed Venezuela’s July 28, 2024, presidential election.The segments of the speech identifying González were removed from Trump’s shortened clip. In the complete speech, Maduro addressed the opposition politician by name and demanded that he confront the president directly instead of targeting ordinary Venezuelans and their families.Venezuelan communicator and Chavista activist Luigino Bracci reiterated the origin of the statement after Trump republished the montage.“Once again, I want to remind you that Nicolás Maduro’s phrase ‘come for me, coward’ was not directed at the United States government, but at Edmundo González Urrutia,” Bracci wrote, attaching the complete, unedited recording of the speech.Trump’s militarized reinterpretation also contrasts with President Maduro’s repeated public calls throughout 2025 for dialogue, diplomacy, and peace as Washington intensified its military deployment and threats against Venezuela.His messages gained wide recognition across Venezuela and other Latin American countries after Dominican producer Hey Santana transformed excerpts from Maduro’s speeches into the viral “No War, Yes Peace” remix. The recording featured Maduro condemning a war over oil and urging the US government to pursue face-to-face dialogue instead of military confrontation.Deportation campaign empties DoralTrump’s celebration of the deadly attack coincided with reports of intensified immigration enforcement against Venezuelans in South Florida, including asylum seekers and migrants with pending immigration proceedings.Videos circulated in recent days show unusually empty streets, schools, restaurants, and commercial areas in Doral, the Miami-Dade city known as “Doralzuela” due to its large Venezuelan population.Residents have reported an increased presence of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol vehicles, as well as arrests during traffic stops and near public locations. The fear of detention has forced some Venezuelan families to remain inside their homes, stop driving, miss work, keep their children out of school, or consider so-called self-deportation.ICE has not disclosed how many people it has detained specifically in Doral or announced a single large-scale operation in the city. Nevertheless, testimonies collected by local media describe sustained enforcement activity over the past two months, including the detention of people with pending asylum cases and valid work permits.A Venezuelan employee at a cellphone store on Northwest 41st Street reported that the business now receives approximately three customers per day, compared with as many as 30 previously. At El Arepazo, one of Doral’s best-known Venezuelan restaurants, owner Alexis Mogollón said the establishment is experiencing the worst financial results in its history.A Venezuelan rideshare driver, Lisbeth Lovo, reported transporting six children to school every day because their parents are afraid to drive. Volunteer networks have also been organized to take children to school and deliver food and essential supplies to families afraid to leave their homes.Only six months earlier, on March 9, Trump visited El Arepazo to court the local Venezuelan community. He received an enthusiastic welcome from right-wing exiles who had supported Washington’s aggression against Venezuela and demanded action against President Maduro.“Just months ago, Trump stopped by El Arepazo in Doral to pander to the local Venezuelan community, while right-wing gusano exiles practically begged him to target President Maduro,” Orinoco Tribune posted on social media alongside footage of the visit.“Now, mass deportations are targeting those very same Venezuelans once their political utility expired,” the post added, questioning how the community would respond during the upcoming midterm elections.President Maduro’s Defense Requests Dismissal of US Case, Citing Head-of-State ImmunityDoral Councilmember Rafael Pineyro and Venezuelan organizations have asked Congressmembers to demand precise information about the arrests, the immigration status of those detained, and whether people with pending asylum applications or valid work permits are being targeted. The requests come as the same Venezuelan community once courted by Trump confronts the consequences of an anti-immigrant campaign whose political effects in Florida remain to be seen. Special for Orinoco Tribune by staffOT/JRE/SF