Overview
- President Donald Trump said U.S. forces captured Nicolás Maduro and Cilia Flores in a large-scale strike and flew them to New York for prosecution.
- Attorney General Pamela Bondi said SDNY charges include narco‑terrorism, cocaine importation conspiracy, and weapons offenses, with an initial appearance expected in Manhattan federal court.
- Mayor Zohran Mamdani said he was briefed by senior city officials on plans to hold the pair in federal custody in New York and pledged guidance focused on the safety of Venezuelan New Yorkers.
- Mamdani said he phoned Trump to register opposition, calling the action an unlawful pursuit of regime change that violates federal and international law.
- Political fallout intensified as Republicans criticized the mayor’s remarks, New York Democrats demanded immediate congressional briefings, and Trump said the United States would temporarily run Venezuela with a role for U.S. oil companies.