Maduro in U.S. Custody as Washington Claims Control of Venezuela Transition

Overview

• U.S. forces captured Nicolás Maduro in Caracas and transferred him to New York, where prosecutors filed narcoterrorism, cocaine‑importation and weapons charges to be tried in the Southern District of New York; his wife, Cilia Flores, was also charged.
• The White House says the United States will govern Venezuela during a transition, yet reporting indicates no finalized post‑Maduro governance plan and no immediate signs of direct U.S. administration on the ground.
• Venezuela’s Supreme Tribunal of Justice declared Vice President Delcy Rodríguez interim president as she publicly demanded Maduro’s release and senior officials, including Vladimir Padrino López and Diosdado Cabello, vowed defiance.
• Global reaction is divided, with Israel and governments such as Argentina, Chile and Paraguay expressing support and Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, China and Russia condemning the operation; the UN Security Council meets Monday to discuss the crisis.
• The Caracas raid followed months of U.S. military pressure and maritime strikes that reports say killed more than 100 people, while diaspora communities and U.S. cities saw both celebrations and protests and New York’s mayor labeled the action “an act of war.”