Overview
- U.S. special operations forces captured Nicolás Maduro and Cilia Flores in Caracas and transferred them to U.S. custody to face narcotics-related charges in New York, officials said.
- Attorney General Pam Bondi said the pair will be arraigned in the Southern District of New York on drug trafficking and firearms counts tied to prior indictments.
- The raid, described as Operation Absolute Resolve, was reported as a fast joint mission with extensive air support and no U.S. fatalities, with only minor aircraft damage noted.
- In a Fox & Friends interview, President Trump said cartels are "running Mexico," claimed he had offered to help Mexico "take out the cartels," and asserted that "something’s gonna have to be done."
- Trump’s post-raid warnings also referenced Cuba and Colombia, drawing broader international criticism over sovereignty, regional stability, and the operation’s legal basis.