Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro was placed in a New York detention center after US special forces carried out a rapid military operation to seize him and transport him out of Venezuela, as former US president Donald Trump announced that Washington would assume effective control of the country. The dramatic move has intensified global focus on US-Venezuela relations and claims of regime change.
The operation unfolded before dawn, with US commandos detaining Maduro and his wife while air strikes targeted military installations in and around Caracas. A US government aircraft later delivered Maduro to a military base before he was flown by helicopter to New York City, where prosecutors are preparing drug trafficking and weapons charges. The White House released video footage showing Maduro in handcuffs at a DEA facility, underscoring the scale of the operation.
Despite the success of the raid, uncertainty surrounds Venezuela’s political future. Trump said he had designated members of his cabinet to oversee governance and suggested US troops could be deployed if necessary. He dismissed immediate opposition rule and instead signaled possible cooperation with Vice President Delcy Rodriguez, while emphasizing US interest in Venezuela’s vast oil reserves and potential investment by American oil companies.
Opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, a Nobel Peace Prize winner, declared the operation a turning point and urged a swift transition of power. However, Trump questioned her domestic support. Meanwhile, Venezuela’s Supreme Court ordered Rodriguez to assume interim authority as tensions grew inside the country.
International reaction was swift. China condemned the US action, France warned against imposed solutions, and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed concern over violations of international law. The UN Security Council is set to meet to discuss the escalating Venezuela crisis.
