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Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro Seized and Flown to New York
In a stunning and unprecedented military and law-enforcement operation on January 3, 2026, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were captured by United States forces in Caracas and transported to New York to face criminal charges, according to U.S. officials and multiple international media sources.
The operation, described by the Trump administration as a coordinated military and legal mission, marked a dramatic escalation in U.S.–Venezuela tensions and drew widespread global attention — and controversy.
The Capture and Transfer
According to U.S. accounts, the operation involved air, land, and sea components, with strikes targeting key Venezuelan military sites in Caracas during the pre-dawn hours. Maduro and Flores were seized at a residence near the capital before being taken aboard U.S. military assets, including the USS Iwo Jima, and flown to the United States.
Footage and reports from U.S. media showed Maduro handcuffed and shackled as he was escorted off a plane at Stewart Air National Guard Base in Newburgh, New York, before being transferred to federal custody.
Once in New York, Maduro was taken to the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, a federal facility where high-profile detainees are held, and is expected to make a courtroom appearance in the coming days.
Criminal Charges in the U.S.
Maduro and others — including members of his inner circle — have been indicted in the Southern District of New York on a range of narco-terrorism, cocaine importation, and weapons charges that stem from longstanding U.S. investigations into Venezuelan involvement in international drug trafficking.
The U.S. Justice Department alleges that Maduro’s government effectively facilitated cocaine shipments into the United States in collaboration with violent cartels such as the FARC, the Sinaloa cartel, and others — accusations Maduro has denied.
U.S. Government Position
President Donald Trump personally confirmed the operation and said that the United States would “run” Venezuela temporarily to manage a transition of power, citing both national security and economic interests, particularly Venezuela’s vast oil resources.
Trump described the mission as one of the most extraordinary uses of American military force since World War II, asserting that it was necessary to bring Maduro to justice and stabilize the region.
International and Legal Controversy
The capture has ignited a fierce international debate about legality and sovereignty. Many legal scholars and governments argue that military abduction of a sitting head of state on foreign soil without United Nations authorization violates international law.
Venezuela’s interim government — endorsed by Caracas opposition figures and recognized by some foreign governments — has demanded proof that Maduro is alive and called the U.S. actions an illegal kidnapping.
International leaders have been sharply divided: some Western allies offer cautious support for holding Maduro accountable, while others condemn the operation as dangerous precedent that undermines international norms.
Reactions in Venezuela and Beyond
In Venezuela, the situation remains volatile. While some opposition groups view the U.S. action as an opportunity for political change, many citizens and officials decry it as imperialist aggression. Vice President Delcy Rodríguez, named interim president under Venezuela’s constitution, has rejected U.S. claims and asserted Maduro’s legitimacy.
Across the region, governments and international bodies, including the United Nations, have called emergency meetings to address the implications of the U.S. strike and the capture of a sovereign leader.
Historical Significance
The seizure and transfer of Nicolás Maduro to U.S. soil for prosecution is among the most dramatic interventions by the United States in Latin America in decades — drawing historical comparisons to the 1989 capture of Panamanian leader Manuel Noriega.
Whether this marks a turning point in U.S. foreign policy or deepens regional instability will unfold in the coming weeks, as legal proceedings begin and the world watches how Venezuela’s leadership vacuum is managed.
Attached is a news article regarding maduro brought in to New York after being seized by US in Venezuela
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c5yqygxe41pt
Article written and configured by Christopher Stanley
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