India, Jan. 4 -- The United States on Saturday carried out a direct military operation in Venezuela that resulted in the capture and removal of President Nicolas Maduro, marking one of the most consequential US interventions and regime changes in the western hemisphere in decades and a sharp escalation from years of sanctions, diplomatic pressure, and covert efforts to isolate his government. Washington described the action as a limited "special military operation", involving air and special ground assets inside Venezuelan territory. US officials said the operation was aimed at detaining Maduro on longstanding criminal charges filed in US courts and restoring "democratic order" in the country. President Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores wo...