Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro was held in a New York detention centre on Sunday, facing drug-related charges after U.S. President Donald Trump authorised a dramatic raid to capture him and asserted that the United States would take temporary control of the South American nation.
The 63-year-old Maduro, blindfolded and handcuffed during his transfer to U.S. authorities, stunned Venezuelans and sparked global debate over Washington’s intervention, the most controversial in Latin America since the 1989 invasion of Panama. He is due to appear in a Manhattan federal court on Monday.
Trump described Venezuela, home to roughly 30 million people and the world’s largest oil reserves, as under temporary U.S. management, promising a “safe, proper and judicious transition” without offering further operational details. He also said major American oil firms would restore Venezuela’s dilapidated oil infrastructure, a process expected to take years.
Maduro’s allies in Caracas denounced the operation as a “kidnapping,” while opposition leader Maria Corina Machado expressed disappointment at being sidelined. Maduro’s vice president, Delcy Rodriguez, reaffirmed Caracas’ stance, declaring, “There is only one president in Venezuela, and his name is Nicolas Maduro.”
The raid, carried out by U.S. Special Forces under darkness on Saturday, involved helicopter insertions and strikes on military installations across Caracas. Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were captured and flown to New York, where he was held at the Metropolitan Detention Center and later processed at the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration offices.
While the operation drew applause from many Venezuelan exiles, who celebrated the removal of a leader accused of election fraud and autocratic rule, global reaction was mixed. Western allies urged diplomatic solutions, while the United Nations Security Council planned discussions on Monday. Russia and China criticised the U.S., with Beijing calling the intervention a violation of international law and Venezuela’s sovereignty.
The sudden U.S. action has raised questions over the legality of seizing a foreign head of state and the potential for prolonged involvement in Venezuela. Analysts warned that Trump’s open-ended military approach, echoing past interventions in Iraq and Afghanistan, could provoke political backlash domestically and abroad.
In Venezuela, Maduro’s removal prompted widespread uncertainty, with residents queuing for fuel and groceries, soldiers patrolling streets, and supporters of both Maduro and the opposition holding small gatherings.
