The capture unfolded in the predawn hours of January 3 after U.S. military aircraft and special forces struck multiple strategic sites around Caracas, the Venezuelan capital.
The operation, ordered by U.S. leadership and carried out under a campaign described by American officials as targeting alleged criminal networks, culminated in Maduro and Flores being taken from their residence and swiftly flown out of Venezuelan territory. Both were transported first to a U.S. Navy vessel offshore and then to the United States, where they were brought into federal custody in New York.
Once in U.S. custody, Maduro and his wife faced arraignment in a federal court in Manhattan. Prosecutors presented a superseding indictment accusing the couple of serious crimes, including involvement in narco-terrorism and drug trafficking conspiracies. In court, both Maduro and Flores entered not guilty pleas to all charges. Maduro maintained he was innocent of the allegations and asserted that he remained the legitimate president of Venezuela. Flores likewise denied wrongdoing, and her legal team raised concerns about her treatment during the capture.
The capture marked a dramatic end to Maduro’s more than decade-long rule in Venezuela and triggered sharp international reactions. In Caracas, Venezuela’s vice president was sworn in as interim president according to the nation’s constitutional succession process. However, Maduro’s supporters and several foreign governments condemned the U.S. action as a violation of international law and Venezuelan sovereignty, with officials denouncing it as an unlawful kidnapping.
Back in the United States, political leaders and legal experts debated the operation’s legality and broader implications. Supporters of the mission described it as a necessary step to bring alleged long-running criminal activity to justice, while critics warned that forcibly detaining a sitting head of state set a dangerous precedent for global norms and could inflame tensions throughout the region.
As Maduro and Flores await further legal proceedings in the U.S. justice system, the situation has left Venezuela’s political future uncertain. The international community continues to watch closely as the repercussions of the operation unfold, both within Venezuela and across diplomatic and geopolitical arenas.