In a dramatic escalation of tensions, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has been captured and transported to the United States following a military operation authorised by Washington. The action, which took place on Saturday, has triggered a major international crisis and drawn condemnation from the United Nations.
From Caracas to Brooklyn: The Capture of a President
According to multiple US media reports, a plane believed to be carrying Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, landed in New York on Saturday evening. Maduro was subsequently taken to the offices of the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and is now believed to be held at the Metropolitan Detention Center, a federal facility in Brooklyn.
A video shared by the White House's official rapid response social media account appeared to show the detained leader. In the clip, Maduro, wearing a black hooded top and hat, is seen handcuffed and escorted by agents down a hallway with a carpet marked "DEA NYD". He is heard saying "Goodnight" and "Happy new year".
Trump's Vision for Venezuela and the Human Cost
Speaking at a press conference on Saturday, former US President Donald Trump outlined his administration's stark intentions. "We're going to run the country [Venezuela] until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition," he stated, without providing further details.
Trump also signalled a significant shift in economic policy, declaring that the US would be "very strongly involved" in Venezuela's oil industry post-operation. "We have the greatest oil companies in the world... and we're going to be very much involved in it," he asserted. When asked about exiled opposition figure María Corina Machado, Trump dismissed her potential to lead, claiming she lacked sufficient support within Venezuela.
The human cost of the military action is severe. The New York Times, citing a senior anonymous Venezuelan official, reported that at least 40 people, including civilians and soldiers, were killed during Saturday's attack.
International Alarm and Domestic Power Shift
The United Nations has reacted with profound concern. A spokesperson for Secretary-General António Guterres said he was "deeply alarmed" and considered the US intervention "a dangerous precedent". The UN Security Council is scheduled to hold an emergency meeting on Monday to address the crisis.
Within Venezuela, the supreme court has moved to ensure continuity, ordering Vice President Delcy Rodríguez to assume the role of acting president during Maduro's absence. Meanwhile, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth sought to clarify Trump's comments about "running" Venezuela, telling CBS News it meant that "the drugs stop flowing" and "the oil that was taken from us is returned".
The capture of Nicolás Maduro marks a pivotal and controversial moment in US-Latin American relations, setting the stage for a complex political and humanitarian reckoning in the days ahead.
