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11h ago

U.S. Captures Nicolás Maduro and Transfers Him to U.S. Soil

Trump's pledge to steer a temporary transition has already triggered legal and diplomatic scrutiny.

Government supporters hold photographs of Venezuela's late President Hugo Chavez and President Nicolas Maduro, after U.S. President Donald Trump said the U.S. has struck Venezuela and captured Maduro, in Caracas, Venezuela January 3, 2026. REUTERS/Maxwell Briceno
Image
Simpatizantes chavistas levantan carteles de Chávez y Maduro este sábado en Caracas.
El presidente venezolano, Nicolás Maduro, es acusado de liderar a la organización criminal, Cartel de los Soles. (Imagen: archivo).

Overview

  • Reuters and the Associated Press reported that Maduro was seized in a U.S. operation and flown to Stewart Airport in New York, placing the Venezuelan leader in U.S. custody.
  • President Donald Trump characterized the move as a liberation and said the United States intends to guide a transitional period in Venezuela.
  • Opposition figures María Corina Machado and Edmundo González Urrutia signaled readiness to form a transitional authority following the power vacuum left by Maduro's removal.
  • Key chavista leaders, including Delcy Rodríguez and Diosdado Cabello, reacted without clarifying a coherent succession plan, underscoring immediate uncertainty inside the ruling apparatus.
  • The capture follows a disputed 2024 election and a clampdown documented by international bodies, including roughly 2,000 detentions cited by the International Criminal Court, against a backdrop of economic collapse and PDVSA's long decline.