Overview
- Nicolás Maduro and Cilia Flores were seized in Caracas on January 3 and transported to New York on SDNY narcoterrorism and related charges, with an initial court appearance set for noon on January 5.
- A January 4 YouGov survey found 39% approving of Trump’s handling of Venezuela and 46% disapproving.
- A Washington Post poll taken January 3–4 recorded a 40–42 approval split, with 74% of Republicans approving and 76% of Democrats disapproving.
- More than six in ten respondents in the Post survey said the operation should have required congressional approval.
- Protests were reported in Doral, Florida, and outside the Manhattan federal courthouse, and a separate January 3 YouGov poll found a slight majority opposed using U.S. military force to remove Maduro.