On Jan. 3 2026, Venezuelan president, Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were captured by the United States Army’s Delta Force in an operation known as “Operation Absolute Resolve.” The extraction of Maduro and Flores was completed in the span of two hours. Maduro is currently being held in the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., that holds several other high profile criminals such as Ghislaine Maxwell, Sean “Diddy” Combs and Luigi Mangione. Maduro will face criminal charges for drug trafficking and use of illegal weapons.
Maduro and Flores have been under surveillance by the U.S. government for many years. In 2020, during President Donald Trump’s first term, Maduro was charged with narco-terrorism, corruption and drug trafficking by the U.S. justice system. Since September 2025, the U.S. military has performed 35 confirmed strikes on Venezuelan drug smuggling boats that killed around 115 passengers. On Jan. 3, 2026, the U.S. military launched a military strike on Caracas, Venezuela’s capital and Maduro and his wife were then taken into U.S. custody. The U.S. government has claimed that Maduro and his family have provided support to cartels smuggling drugs, including cocaine, throughout South America.
Maduro has held office as Venezuela’s president since 2013, he has lost several presidential elections in that timespan, but declined stepping down and stayed in office regardless of losing, using force to stay in power. Since 2019, the U.S., along with 50 other countries, have not recognized Maduro as Venezuela’s president, but as an illegitimate head of state.
According to Trump, Venezuela will be run by the U.S. and will seize Venezuela’s oil reserves. Venezuela’s former vice president, Delcy Rodriguez, has been appointed by Venezuela’s Supreme Court to assume the position of president over the nation. Rodriguez has claimed to be tired of the U.S involvement in the situation. Many Venezuelan citizens are worried about the transition of power and the outcome that will come with it.
“Let Venezuelan politics resolve our differences and our internal conflicts. This Republic has paid a very high price for having to confront the consequences of fascism and extremism in our country.” Rodriguez said.
The U.S. has not seized a Latin American country’s leader from power since December of 1989, when Panama’s head of state, General Manuel Noriega, was removed from power under former President George H.W. Bush’s administration. Trump’s decision to remove Maduro from power has faced backlash due to the fact that it was done without the consent of congress, which many claim is unconstitutional. His decision goes against Article I, Section VIII of the U.S. Constitution, which says only Congress can declare war. However, supporters of the U.S. military’s actions in Venezuela and Trump himself claim that the removal of Maduro from power reaffirms the Monroe Doctrine, a foreign policy document written by former president James Monroe, affirming America’s sphere of influence in the Western Hemisphere.
“Let me be clear: Nicolas Maduro is an illegitimate dictator. But launching military action without congressional authorisation and without a credible plan for what comes next is reckless,” Chuck Schumer, the Minority Leader of the U.S. Senate, said.
Maduro and Flores are currently awaiting trial in New York City and will appear in the U.S. District Court in Manhattan, N.Y. on Monday, Jan. 5. Maduro and his wife will be charged with narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy and numerous weapons offenses.
