NEW YORK – Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, who was captured by US forces in dramatic overnight raid in Caracas, made his first appearance in New York court on Monday. Maduro, 63, and his wife, Cilia Flores, now face serious narcotrafficking charges as U.S. commandos, backed by fighter jets, helicopters, and naval firepower, stormed the Venezuelan capital in a meticulously planned operation.
#Mundo Más de las imágenes de la llegada de Nicolás Maduro y su esposa, Cilia Flores al Tribunal Federal de Manhattan, NY. pic.twitter.com/8tR0nZ0ZVc
— El Periodiquito (@Elperiodiquito) January 5, 2026
Maduro was whisked away under heavy guard, flown by helicopter, and transported in an armored car to the Daniel Patrick Moynihan Courthouse in Manhattan, as Venezuela and the world watched in disbelief. Meanwhile, interim leader Delcy Rodriguez unexpectedly softened her defiant stance, offering to work with US, even as thousands of Maduro loyalists took to the streets, waving flags and brandishing rifles on motorcycles.
Venezuelan military urged calm but confirmed that “a large part” of Maduro’s security team, along with military personnel and civilians, were killed in the operation. US President Donald Trump declared that the US is now “in charge” of Venezuela, demanding total access to the country’s massive oil reserves, while Secretary of State Marco Rubio dismissed talk of elections as “premature.”
Havana reported 32 Cuban casualties during the assault, and Trump hinted that Cuba itself may be destabilized following Maduro’s removal. Opposition leader Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia warned that without freeing political prisoners and acknowledging the 2024 election, the U.S. operation alone is not enough. United Nations Security Council convened an emergency session at Venezuela’s request.
Despite Maduro’s ouster, Washington’s goal appears not to be regime change, but installing a compliant government, even if some of Maduro’s former allies remain. Maduro ruled alongside Flores, Rodriguez, her brother Jorge, and Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello, a tight “club of five” that kept Venezuela under firm control for years.
Several countries, including China, Russia, and Iran condemned US raid and demanded Maduro’s release, while the EU voiced alarm.
Venezuela claims 40 killed, including military personnel, in US attack
