Trump Awards Medal of Honor to Pilot in Maduro Raid

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump awarded the Medal of Honor to Army Chief Warrant Officer 5 Eric Slover during his State of the Union address on Tuesday evening, recognizing the pilot's bravery in leading a U.S. military raid that captured former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro on January 3.

Slover, who appeared in the House gallery using a walker and dressed in his uniform, piloted the lead CH-47 Chinook helicopter during the operation in Caracas. The mission succeeded in extracting Maduro from a heavily guarded location and transporting him to the United States to face federal drug trafficking charges, but it resulted in injuries to seven American service members from gunshots and shrapnel.

Trump detailed the intense moments of the raid, describing how Slover endured heavy enemy fire as his helicopter approached the landing zone. "While preparing to land, enemy machine guns fired from every angle, and Eric was hit very badly in the leg and hip, one bullet after another," Trump said. He noted that Slover absorbed four bullets, severely damaging his leg, yet continued to maneuver the aircraft toward two machine gunners who had evaded prior assaults.