Maduro Captured by US Army: Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has been taken to New York, USA, where he is set to face trial in a federal court on charges related to narco-terrorism. According to reports, Maduro was captured by U.S. Delta Force commandos. He and his wife, Cilia Flores, arrived on Saturday at Stewart Air National Guard Base.
From the base, the couple was flown by helicopter to a helipad in Manhattan, located close to key federal offices and courts. They were transported under heavy security and are expected to undergo initial processing at the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) office.
Following this, Maduro will be lodged at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Brooklyn, a high-security federal prison, where he will remain in custody while awaiting trial. The U.S. authorities had previously announced a $50 million bounty on him. Maduro is likely to make his first court appearance for a preliminary hearing on Monday.
When the aircraft landed on Saturday afternoon, FBI agents reportedly surrounded the plane and swiftly took Maduro and his wife into custody, marking a dramatic development in the long-running case against the Venezuelan leader.
Maduro Captured by US Army: Maduro arrested from military base
Venezuela has announced a state of national emergency and denounces the “military aggression”. President Donald Trump said that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife were taken into custody during an overnight American operation in Caracas. Trump described the mission as one of the most complex and precise operations ever carried out by the U.S. military.
The entire operation was carried out under Operation Absolute Resolve. Maduro was captured early Saturday morning at the Venezuelan military base in Fuerte Tuna, where he was hiding. From there, he was taken to the US Navy ship Iwo Jima. According to officials, more than 150 aircraft were involved in the operation.
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump says the US is going to “run” Venezuela” until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition”
US Venezuela Conflict: Why Did US Attack Venezuela?
The stated reasons are migration, drugs, and “narco-terrorism”. Donald Trump has repeatedly linked Venezuela to the surge of migrants arriving at the US southern border. Reports suggest that since 2013, nearly eight million Venezuelans have fled the country due to economic collapse and political repression, with the majority settling in other parts of Latin America. Trump, however, has gone a step further, alleging—without providing evidence—that President Nicolás Maduro deliberately “emptied prisons and mental asylums” and forced inmates to migrate to the United States. The Venezuelan government has firmly denied these claims.
Further accusations against Maduro date back to indictments filed in 2020, which allege that he heads a powerful drug trafficking network known as the “Cartel de los Soles.”
Drugs form the second major pillar of Trump’s criticism. He has claimed that Venezuela serves as a key transit hub for cocaine and plays a role in fueling the US fentanyl crisis. As part of this stance, Trump designated two Venezuelan criminal groups—the Tren de Aragua and the Cartel de los Soles—as Foreign Terrorist Organisations (FTOs), alleging that the latter is directly led by Maduro himself.
US Venezuela War: China demands US immediately release Venezuela’s Maduro
China’s foreign ministry has called on the United States to immediately release Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, urging Washington to resolve the situation in Venezuela through dialogue and negotiation. In a statement posted on its website, the ministry said the US must also ensure the personal safety of Maduro and his wife, adding that their removal from the country violated international law and established norms.
