Overview
- President Donald Trump announced a large-scale U.S. strike early Saturday that captured Nicolás Maduro and flew him out of Venezuela.
- U.S. authorities issued an updated January 3 indictment in New York naming Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, on narcotics, weapons, and narco-terrorism charges.
- A recently created Polymarket account wagered roughly $30,000 on Maduro’s ouster and redeemed about $436,000 hours after the capture.
- Prediction markets had priced a January exit for Maduro at low odds days earlier, with roughly $56.6 million reportedly wagered across six related contracts and a late rush of bets.
- Commentators and some U.S. figures urged tighter oversight of political betting sites, while questions remain about the strike’s legal basis and whether Congress was consulted.