Overview
- Trump told Fox News that Nicolás Maduro and Cilia Flores were extracted by helicopter and are being transported on the amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima toward New York.
- The president posted the first image of Maduro in custody, showing him handcuffed on the ship with a DEA agent visible in the background.
- Attorney General Pam Bondi said the pair have been indicted in SDNY on counts including narcoterrorism conspiracy, cocaine-importation conspiracy, and firearms offenses.
- Trump said he followed the raid from Mar-a-Lago and had given Maduro an ultimatum to surrender during a call about a week before the operation.
- Venezuela’s government denounced the action as an attack and reports described overnight explosions at sites in and around Caracas, while U.S. media indicated authorities in New York are preparing for custody and an initial court appearance.