Overview
- Nicolás Maduro and Cilia Flores remain in U.S. custody after their New York arraignment on narco‑terrorism and related charges, to which they pleaded not guilty.
- President Trump has said the U.S. will temporarily run Venezuela and control oil proceeds, including a promise of roughly 50 million barrels, and he has courted major oil executives for investment.
- Governments and institutions from the United Nations to China, Russia and key Latin American and European leaders condemned the operation as a violation of sovereignty and a dangerous precedent for the rules‑based order.
- Experts say the operation’s speed, intelligence preparation and use of overwhelming force—reportedly causing dozens of Venezuelan and Cuban security deaths—send a deterrent signal to rivals even as legal concerns escalate.
- In Washington, lawmakers are demanding legal justification and oversight under War Powers, while analysts warn the U.S. lacks a clear framework for governance in Caracas and the costs of a longer stewardship could be steep.