Trump’s announcement followed a pre dawn raid in which US commandos captured Maduro and his wife during air strikes on military and strategic sites in and around Caracas. A US government aircraft carrying Maduro landed at a military base shortly after nightfall, after which he was flown by helicopter to New York City to face drug trafficking and weapons charges.
The White House shared a video on X showing Maduro handcuffed and escorted by federal agents through a US Drug Enforcement Administration facility in New York. In the footage, the 63 year old leader is heard saying, “Good night, happy new year,” in English.
Despite the success of the operation, uncertainty remains over what comes next. Trump said he was designating cabinet members to oversee affairs in Venezuela but provided no details. He also suggested that US troops could be deployed, saying Washington was not afraid of “boots on the ground.”
Trump appeared to rule out Venezuela’s opposition taking power and instead signalled openness to working with Vice President Delcy Rodriguez. He highlighted Venezuela’s vast oil reserves, saying US oil companies would invest billions to repair damaged infrastructure and increase production.
Opposition leader Maria Corina Machado hailed the development as a moment of freedom and called for opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia to assume the presidency. Trump, however, dismissed that prospect, saying Machado lacked sufficient support.
Rodriguez rejected Trump’s remarks, demanded Maduro’s release, and vowed to defend Venezuela. Later, the Supreme Court ordered her to assume presidential powers in an acting capacity.
International reaction was swift. China condemned the US operation, while France warned that a solution could not be imposed from outside. United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres said he was deeply concerned that international law may have been violated. At Venezuela’s request, the UN Security Council is set to meet on Monday.
US military officials said the operation involved around 150 aircraft and months of intelligence gathering. According to the Pentagon, Maduro and his wife surrendered without resistance and there were no US casualties.
Venezuela has yet to release casualty figures, though Trump claimed that members of Maduro’s Cuban security detail were killed. Caracas remained tense in the aftermath, with security forces deployed across the capital.
Maduro has ruled Venezuela since 2013 after succeeding Hugo Chavez. The United States and several European countries have long refused to recognise his legitimacy, accusing him of election fraud. The dramatic US intervention has now opened a new and highly uncertain chapter in Venezuela’s political crisis.
