Trump awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor to pilot Eric Slover, whose actions were vital to the capture of dictator Nicolás Maduro

On Tuesday in Washington, Army Chief Warrant Officer 5 Eric Slover received the Medal of Honor, the nation's highest military decoration.

At the conclusion of his speech on the State of the Union, President Donald Trump announced that Slover would be awarded the medal. The chief warrant officer, still on active duty, received it for heroic actions he took last month in Venezuela.

In early January, Trump announced the capture of former Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, following a successful joint overnight operation by U.S. military forces in Caracas, Venezuela's capital. Both face criminal proceedings related to an indictment filed in 2020 by the Department of Justice (DOJ), which includes multiple federal charges, among them narcoterrorism and drug trafficking.

Slover, planner and flight leader on the first helicopter

As explained by the president, Slover participated in the military operation to capture Maduro during the January 2 raid. In addition, he was in charge of planning a helicopter mission that required the use of a CH-47 Chinook heavy-lift aircraft.

"Slover planned a mission and was the flight lead in the cockpit of the first helicopter," Trump said. "Eric steered the Chinook under the cover of night and descended swiftly upon Maduro's heavily protected military fortress."

The area, the president said, was heavily guarded by thousands of soldiers.

"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 absorbed four agonizing shots, shredding his leg into numerous pieces."

Slover allowed gunners to neutralize the threat

Despite those wounds, the president said, Slover pressed on to get the commandos to the insertion zone, so the mission could be executed.

"[Delivering] the many commandos who would capture and detain Maduro was the only thing Eric was thinking about then," Trump said.

"Even as he was gushing blood ... Eric maneuvered his helicopter with all of those lives and souls to face the enemy and let his gunners eliminate the threat — turn the helicopter around so the gunners could take care of business — saving the lives of his fellow warriors from what could have been a catastrophic crash, deep in enemy territory."

Slover stabilized the Chinook and pulled it out of harm's way

After landing the helicopter safely at the indicated location so the mission could continue, the War Department (DOW) reported that Eric asked his co-pilot -also wounded - to take over.

"The success of the entire mission and the lives of his fellow warriors hinged on Eric's ability to take searing pain," the president added.

During the State of the Union address, Army Lt. Gen. Jonathan Braga, commander of the Joint Special Operations Command, placed the medal around Slover's neck.

Donald Trump also noted that there would be a separate event, at the White House, where he himself would present the medal to the chief petty officer.

Navy Captain Royce Williams also received the Medal of Honor. As noted by the president, Williams served in World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. His combat actions in Korea earned him such distinguished recognition.