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5d ago

U.S. Says Raid Captured Venezuela’s Maduro as Trump Watched From Mar-a-Lago

The Justice Department says Nicolás Maduro and Cilia Flores are indicted in New York and will be brought to U.S. courts following their transfer to a U.S. Navy ship.

A motorcycle rides past a graffiti depicting Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in Caracas on January 3, 2026. President Donald Trump said Saturday that US forces had captured Venezuela's leader Nicolas Maduro after bombing the capital Caracas and other cities in a dramatic climax to a months-long standoff between Trump and his Venezuelan arch-foe. (Photo by Juan BARRETO / AFP via Getty Images)
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President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump arrive for a New Year’s Eve event at his Mar-a-Lago home on December 31, 2025 in Palm Beach, Florida. The president called in to Fox & Friends on January 3 to brag about watching the strikes on Venezuela from his club.
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Overview

  • Attorney General Pam Bondi said the pair face Southern District of New York charges including narco-terrorism, cocaine importation conspiracy and machine-gun offenses.
  • Trump reported no U.S. fatalities and only minor injuries, and said the detainees were flown to the USS Iwo Jima and are headed toward New York.
  • The Federal Aviation Administration barred U.S. commercial flights from Venezuelan airspace, citing ongoing military activity.
  • According to news reports citing people familiar with the mission, the CIA identified Maduro’s location and U.S. Army Delta Force executed the raid with air, sea and ground support.
  • Several lawmakers questioned the operation’s legal authority, while Trump said the United States will be strongly involved in Venezuela’s oil industry.