Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro was being held in a New York detention facility on Sunday, awaiting prosecution on U.S. drug trafficking charges following a dramatic U.S.-led operation ordered by President Donald Trump, according to U.S. officials.
Maduro, 63, was flown to the United States after what the White House described as a targeted raid to apprehend him. Trump said the operation marked the beginning of a temporary U.S. role in overseeing Venezuela’s transition, including control of the oil-rich nation’s assets.
Images of Maduro blindfolded and handcuffed during his transfer to U.S. custody quickly spread across social media, shocking many Venezuelans and drawing international attention. Analysts say the move represents Washington’s most far-reaching intervention in Latin America since the 1989 U.S. invasion of Panama.
U.S. officials said Maduro is scheduled to appear in federal court in Manhattan on Monday. Upon arrival, Maduro briefly addressed those escorting him, wishing them a “Happy New Year,” according to people familiar with the transfer.
The arrest follows years of U.S. allegations that Maduro orchestrated drug trafficking networks and retained power through election manipulation—claims he has repeatedly denied.
Inside Venezuela, Maduro’s allies remain in control of state institutions and condemned the operation as an unlawful abduction. Government officials accused Washington of acting out of economic self-interest, particularly Venezuela’s vast oil and mineral reserves.
On the streets, daily life slowed noticeably. Residents described quieter-than-usual neighborhoods as many stayed indoors amid uncertainty.
“I just took my dog outside and the city feels abandoned,” said Alejandra Palencia, a 35-year-old psychologist in Maracay. “People are staying inside. There is fear and uncertainty.”
Some residents reported stocking up on food and essentials, while others waited for clarity on who would govern the country next.
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Speaking at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, Trump said the United States would temporarily oversee Venezuela until a transition could be arranged.
“We will run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition,” Trump told reporters, describing Maduro’s capture as occurring moments before he reached a secure location.
Trump also dismissed suggestions that opposition leader María Corina Machado, a Nobel Peace Prize winner, should assume power, saying she lacked sufficient domestic backing.
Machado, who was barred from running in Venezuela’s 2024 election, has argued that opposition-backed candidate Edmundo González, 76, won that vote based on results cited by the opposition and some international observers.
International reaction has been cautious. Several world leaders expressed concern, citing memories of past U.S. interventions in Iraq and Afghanistan, even as they acknowledged widespread criticism of Maduro’s rule.
Among Venezuelans living abroad, reactions were more openly celebratory. Millions fled the country during years of economic collapse and political repression under Maduro.
“We are happy that the dictatorship has fallen and that our country can be free,” said Khaty Yanez, a Venezuelan living in Santiago, Chile.