To Capture
To Catch, To Apprehend
transitive verb, ichidan verb
The kanji itself means catch, and 捕える means to capture or to catch.
捕える and 捕まえる both mean "to catch," but 捕える tends to sound more weighty and literary — you're far more likely to see it in a book talking about the capture of a fleeing enemy general than to hear it from a kid who just caught a grasshopper.
You've learned 捕まえる and 捕まる, which use the same kanji, but this word actually has a totally different reading. Here's a mnemonic to help you remember it:
You need to capture someone because they stole your copy of the Torah (とら). They try to flee on a boat, but thankfully all your Torah studies pay off and you're able to catch them by parting the seas and apprehending them on foot.
人を捕える
to capture a person
魚を捕える
to catch a fish
スパイを捕える
to capture a spy
敵を捕える
to capture an enemy
兵士たちは敵を生きたまま捕えた。
The soldiers captured the enemy alive.
前線で数名の若い敵兵を捕えました！
We captured several young enemy soldiers at the front line.
捕えられたスパイは静かに笑った。
The captured spy smiled quietly.
王を捕えれば、戦いは終わるはずだった。
If they captured the king, the battle was supposed to end.