Ouster Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro is scheduled to be arraigned Monday in Manhattan federal court following a dramatic U.S. operation that resulted in his capture and transfer to the United States, according to a spokesperson for the U.S. District Court in the Southern District of New York. Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, are being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn as they prepare to face a sweeping federal indictment accusing them of leading a decades-long narco-terrorism operation.
A federal indictment unsealed Saturday accuses Maduro of being “at the forefront” of a narco-terrorism conspiracy that allegedly imported massive quantities of cocaine into the United States over roughly 25 years. Prosecutors say the scheme relied on cooperation with gangs designated as terrorist organizations and enriched Maduro, members of his inner circle, and his family. The indictment names Flores and Maduro’s son among six defendants charged with narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy, and weapons offenses. Attorney General Pam Bondi said Maduro and Flores “will soon face the full wrath of American justice on American soil in American courts,” citing charges that have been pending in New York for years and that Maduro has repeatedly denied.
As previously reported, Trump announced on Saturday that the United States had “successfully carried out a large scale strike against Venezuela,” adding that Maduro and his wife were “captured and flown out of the Country.” The announcement came hours after explosions were reported in Caracas, with images circulating online showing smoke plumes and a large fireball lighting up the night sky. U.S. officials say the operation was carried out by the Army’s elite Delta Force, following months of military positioning in the region that included the deployment of the USS Gerald R. Ford and other naval assets to the Caribbean. The mission reportedly followed intelligence gathered by the CIA, which had a covert team on the ground tracking Maduro’s movements.
Trump said during a press conference at Mar-a-Lago that the U.S. would temporarily oversee Venezuela during a transition period, stating the country would be “run” for an unspecified time while oil production is restored. He said American officials would work alongside local teams because there was “nobody to take over. We’ll run it properly. We’ll run it professionally. We’ll have the greatest oil companies in the world go in and invest billions and billions of dollars and take out money, use that money in Venezuela, and the biggest beneficiary are going to be the people of Venezuela.” Trump also suggested U.S. troops could remain involved, saying, “We’re not afraid of boots on the ground,” and warned that a second, larger wave of attacks could follow if necessary.
Trump later said that U.S. forces breached reinforced structures in seconds and prevented Maduro from reaching a fortified safe area. Trump said Maduro attempted to flee but was quickly overtaken, claiming he had previously offered the Venezuelan leader chances to surrender. According to Trump, the military even built a replica of Maduro’s residence to rehearse the mission. Maduro was flown by helicopter to the USS Iwo Jima before being transported to New York.
Following Maduro’s removal, Venezuela’s military announced it recognizes Vice President Delcy Rodríguez as acting president. Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López said the move followed a Supreme Court ruling appointing Rodríguez to lead the country for 90 days. Rodríguez, who has served as vice president since 2018, has overseen much of Venezuela’s oil sector and intelligence apparatus.
The arrest follows the Trump administration’s unprecedented move last November to designate Maduro as the leader of a foreign terrorist organization, placing him on the same list as groups such as al-Qaeda. Maduro has faced U.S. narcotics-related charges since 2020, when prosecutors accused him and allied officials of running a criminal enterprise that used state resources to fuel the international drug trade. Prosecutors allege the operation was designed to flood the United States with cocaine and undermine public health.
Editorial credit: StringerAL / Shutterstock.com