Deposed Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, arrived in the United States late Saturday after being captured in a US military operation in Caracas, with Washington confirming they will face long-standing criminal charges linked to drug trafficking and narco-terrorism.
Maduro was flown to New York following what US President Donald Trump described as a “highly successful” nighttime operation that removed the couple from a military base in the Venezuelan capital. US authorities said Maduro and Flores are accused of leading a narco-terrorism conspiracy that flooded the United States with cocaine.
After landing at a small airport in New York’s northern suburbs, Maduro was transported by helicopter to Manhattan and escorted to a US Drug Enforcement Administration facility. A video shared by a White House account showed him smiling as two DEA agents led him through the building.
Trump promoted the ouster as part of a broader effort to curb drug trafficking and asserted that the United States would temporarily oversee Venezuela’s transition. “We’re going to run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition,” Trump said, adding that Washington also planned to repair Venezuela’s oil infrastructure and sell large quantities of oil to other nations.
Venezuela’s government condemned the operation as an “imperialist attack.” Vice President Delcy Rodríguez demanded Maduro’s release, calling him the country’s legitimate leader, even as Venezuela’s high court named her interim president — a role she initially said she would not assume.
Rodríguez said civilians and military personnel were killed during the operation, though she did not provide figures. Trump acknowledged that some US personnel were injured but said none were killed.
The operation followed months of US military build-up and covert planning, marking Washington’s most aggressive attempt at regime change since the 2003 invasion of Iraq. US officials said Maduro’s 2020 indictment had been updated to include his wife, accusing their administration of operating as a “corrupt, illegitimate government” sustained by drug trafficking.
Early Saturday, multiple explosions were reported in Caracas, with residents describing power outages, airstrikes, and low-flying aircraft. Venezuelan state television aired images of pro-Maduro supporters gathering in protest, though large parts of the capital remained unusually quiet on Sunday.
International reaction was swift. Questions were raised over the legality of the operation, with legal experts noting the lack of congressional authorization. Pope Leo XIV called for an end to violence and urged respect for Venezuela’s sovereignty, while the UN Security Council scheduled an emergency meeting following a request from Colombia.
US airspace restrictions over Venezuela and parts of the Caribbean were lifted early Sunday, suggesting no immediate follow-up military action, though political uncertainty in the country remains high.
