Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has reportedly been captured by United States forces and is expected to stand trial in the United States, according to statements from U.S. officials following a dramatic overnight escalation in the long-running standoff between Washington and Caracas.
Explosions were reported across parts of Caracas as U.S. forces carried out what officials described as coordinated strikes on military and strategic targets. Shortly afterward, U.S. President Donald Trump said that Maduro had been taken into custody and flown out of Venezuela as part of the operation.
U.S. lawmakers said the capture is linked to long-standing American indictments accusing Maduro of narco-terrorism and drug trafficking conspiracy. Senator Mike Lee said Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed that Maduro would be transferred to the United States to face trial, adding that U.S. officials do not anticipate further military action in Venezuela at this time.
Residents in Caracas described a tense night marked by loud blasts, low-flying aircraft, and power outages in several districts. Security checkpoints were reported across parts of the capital as uncertainty spread over the fate of the Venezuelan leadership. The Venezuelan government condemned the operation as an act of foreign aggression and said it was seeking confirmation of Maduro’s condition and whereabouts.
Maduro has been under U.S. indictment since 2020, when American prosecutors charged him and senior officials with conspiring to traffic cocaine into the United States in cooperation with armed groups. Washington has maintained sweeping sanctions on Venezuela’s oil sector and has repeatedly accused the Maduro government of corruption and human-rights abuses.
The development is being closely watched across Latin America and the Caribbean, where Maduro has long maintained political allies. Among them is Ralph Gonsalves, the longtime prime minister of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, who has previously defended engagement with Caracas and called for restraint in U.S.–Venezuela relations. Regional leaders have warned that instability in Venezuela could have ripple effects across neighboring states and the wider Caribbean.
U.S. officials said additional details about Maduro’s detention, the specific charges he will face, and the legal process ahead are expected to be released in the coming hours, a moment that could mark a turning point in U.S.–Latin American relations.
1 Comment
2sf6cv