Maduro in US Custody: Trump Confirms Venezuela Seizure, Triggering Global Condemnation and Uncertain Political Future
In an unprecedented turn of events, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores are now in U.S. custody after a swift and covert military operation conducted by American forces over the weekend.
The raid, which began late Friday night in Caracas, ended with Maduro’s transfer to New York’s Metropolitan Detention Center, where he awaits trial on charges including narco-terrorism, cocaine trafficking, and possession of weapons.
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| Donald Trump, Marco Rubio, and Pete Hegseth remotely followed the operation. Via: White House |
He was flown by helicopter to a U.S. Navy warship, the USS Iwo Jima, stationed in the Caribbean Sea. From there, his journey continued via Guantanamo Bay before landing at Stewart Air Force Base in New York. Escort footage later showed Maduro handcuffed at a DEA facility in Manhattan, escorted by U.S. federal agents.
The White House confirmed that the arrest and extradition were based on sealed indictments originally filed in 2020 and recently unsealed in the Southern District of New York. Charges include long-standing allegations of narco-terrorism, the use of state infrastructure for drug trafficking, and conspiracy to harm the United States.
Attorney General Pam Bondi said the legal process was already underway and biometric data had been collected from both Maduro and Flores.
While Trump lauded the operation as a “brilliant success,” describing Maduro’s capture as essential to restoring order in the Americas, the international response has been sharply divided. Governments across Latin America, including Mexico, Colombia, and Cuba, have condemned the action as a violation of international law.
The Venezuelan government declared a state of emergency and denounced the raid as “a colonial-style act of aggression.” President Trump's declaration that the U.S. would “run” Venezuela until a “safe and proper transition” could be ensured drew further criticism from regional leaders and U.S. lawmakers alike.
In Caracas, Vice President Delcy Rodriguez has assumed interim authority, backed by the nation’s Supreme Court. Rodriguez, a long-time ally of the Chávez-Maduro regime, has rejected the U.S. operation and demanded Maduro’s release.
Trump claimed that Rodriguez was in contact with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and had agreed to cooperate, but no official joint statement has been issued. According to the Venezuelan constitution, a presidential election must be held within 30 days if the office is vacated, but it remains unclear whether that process has been initiated.
Domestically, the operation has sparked sharp debate in the United States. While Trump and his cabinet insist the raid was justified to end narco-terrorist activity and bring Maduro to justice, critics have raised concerns about legality, authorization, and broader geopolitical implications.
Members of Congress, particularly on the Democratic side, argued that the operation lacked congressional approval and amounted to a dangerous precedent of military intervention. Several called it a “blood for oil” action, especially after Trump stated that U.S. oil firms would now work to rebuild Venezuela’s energy sector.
New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a democratic socialist, voiced strong opposition to the capture, labeling it an “act of war” and warning of repercussions for New York’s large Venezuelan diaspora.
His administration has vowed to monitor the legal and social fallout closely. Meanwhile, human rights groups have raised questions about due process and the conditions of Maduro’s detention at the Metropolitan Detention Center, a facility with a history of poor treatment and overcrowding.
International analysts noted the broader implications of the operation. The show of force has been widely interpreted as a warning to other regimes considered adversarial to Washington.
Trump himself extended pointed remarks to leaders in Colombia, Cuba, and Mexico, signaling a willingness to escalate U.S. intervention in the region if drug trafficking and governance issues persist. He invoked a revised "Donroe Doctrine" — a term he coined referencing the 19th-century Monroe Doctrine — asserting U.S. primacy in the Western Hemisphere.
Back in Venezuela, despite the sudden removal of its president, the military and other institutions appear to remain operational.
The lack of immediate resistance has led to speculation about internal fissures within the regime or possible complicity from insiders. U.S. officials have not commented on reports that the CIA had active field agents in Caracas in the weeks leading up to the raid, though some sources suggest intelligence-sharing and a $50 million bounty played a role in locating Maduro.
The legal proceedings in New York are expected to begin shortly, with Maduro facing multiple felony charges under U.S. law. The political transition in Venezuela, however, remains fraught with uncertainty. Washington’s insistence on controlling the process of governance, even temporarily, may fuel long-term instability in a country already ravaged by years of economic collapse and civil unrest.
While the United States presents the operation as a law enforcement action targeting criminal activity, the regional and global context paints a more complex picture.
With open threats toward other Latin American leaders and oil interests now front and center, the Maduro raid may prove to be a defining moment in U.S.-Latin American relations in the 21st century. Whether it leads to renewed stability, regional backlash, or prolonged conflict will depend on what follows in the days and weeks ahead.
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