Nicolás Maduro believed he had successfully navigated a tense standoff with President Trump, misjudging the situation in the final weeks before his capture by U.S. forces. He overestimated his own power and misinterpreted the signals from the American president. This miscalculation proved to be his undoing, leading to his eventual apprehension. Maduro's assumption of strength ultimately backfired, resulting in his downfall as Venezuela's leader.