Following the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, some election deniers and MAGA influencers have asserted that the U.S. action is connected to unsubstantiated claims of Venezuelan interference in the 2020 U.S. presidential election, rather than issues of oil or drug trafficking. These individuals allege that the Venezuelan government manipulated voting systems to favor Joe Biden's election over Donald Trump.

Former President Donald Trump amplified these conspiracy theories, particularly after Maduro's capture on January 3. Trump posted on his Truth Social platform about election fraud, specifically mentioning Dominion Voting Systems. Other MAGA influencers also referenced Smartmatic, another election technology company.

Dominion and Smartmatic, which produce voting machines and software, became central targets of disinformation campaigns after the 2020 election. Election deniers claimed the companies' machines were part of a conspiracy to elect Biden, allegations that have been widely discredited. Fox News, for example, paid Dominion nearly $800 million in 2023 to settle a defamation lawsuit related to the network's claims about Dominion's voting machines.

These claims persist online, despite evidence to the contrary and legal settlements acknowledging the falsity of the allegations. The motivations behind the U.S. government's pursuit of Maduro remain a subject of debate, with official statements citing drug trafficking and corruption as primary reasons. However, the resurfacing of 2020 election conspiracy theories highlights the continued influence of these narratives within certain political circles.