About 15 minutes ago, it was officially confirmed that Nicolás Maduro, the President of Venezuela, is now being held in a U.S. jail following a dramatic military operation ordered under President Donald Trump. This development has sent shockwaves through international politics.

In the early hours of January 3, 2026, U.S. forces carried out a military strike and apprehension operation in Caracas, Venezuela’s capital. During this raid, Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were captured by U.S. special forces and flown to the United States. They were then taken into federal custody in New York City to face criminal charges.

President Trump publicly announced the operation, saying that U.S. forces had successfully captured Maduro and that the United States would “run the country” temporarily to ensure stability and a transition of power.

The Trump administration says the capture stemmed from long-standing allegations that Maduro and his associates were involved in drug trafficking and narco-terrorism conspiracies targeting the United States. A superseding federal indictment was unsealed in the Southern District of New York as part of the legal case against Maduro and his wife. Read more below