Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has been taken into custody and transferred to a detention facility in New York following what the United States described as targeted military strikes on Venezuela over the weekend.
According to US officials, Maduro was captured during the operation on Saturday and flown out of Caracas alongside his wife, First Lady Cilia Flores. Both are now being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, where they are expected to face drug trafficking–related charges. Maduro has repeatedly denied allegations linking him to narcotics trafficking or to leading a drug cartel.
The development has triggered sharp reactions in Venezuela, where authorities declared a state of national emergency and condemned the US action as “military aggression” against a sovereign nation. Government officials said the country was mobilising its institutions in response to what they described as an unprecedented escalation.
US President Donald Trump, speaking after the operation, said Washington would assume control over Venezuela’s affairs “until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition.” Trump added that American oil companies would be involved in repairing Venezuela’s dilapidated infrastructure and revitalising its energy sector, saying this would help generate revenue for the country.
The president’s remarks mark a significant shift from his earlier stance at the start of his second term, when he pledged to avoid launching new wars and instead focus on ending existing conflicts. The move has raised concerns among international observers about the broader implications for regional stability and international law.
Details of how the US operation unfolded are still emerging, as reactions continue to pour in from governments and organisations around the world.
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