Venezuela’s Maduro Captured in US Raid, Flown to NYC to Face Narco Charges—Trump Says America Will “Run” the Country and “Take Back the Oil”

Venezuela’s Maduro Captured in US Raid, Flown to NYC to Face Narco Charges—Trump Says America Will “Run” the Country and “Take Back the Oil”

The United States military has captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, in a series of airstrikes and ground operations across Caracas, pulling the sitting head of state out of the country to face terrorism and drug trafficking charges in a New York court [40942][41055][41088][132556].

Former U.S. President Donald Trump announced that the “large-scale strike” on January 3 resulted in the capture of Maduro and his wife, who have since been flown out of Venezuela [40942][40921][41227]. Trump said the United States will now “run” Venezuela, repair its collapsed oil infrastructure, and sell the country’s vast crude reserves to other nations [41227][40871][41525]. “American dominance in the western hemisphere will never be questioned again,” Trump stated, adding that the goal is to “take back the oil” [41525].

Maduro and Flores now face terrorism and drug charges in New York, with U.S. officials accusing the Venezuelan leader of running a “narco terrorist organisation” [40942][132556]. The specific charges have not yet been made public, but the legal proceedings are set to begin in a New York court [41136][40871].

The capture of a sitting head of state by a foreign military is an unprecedented event in modern hemispheric relations [40668][41088]. In the immediate aftermath, Maduro’s deputy, Delcy Rodríguez, has been suggested by Trump as an interim leader who should follow U.S. orders, though she has so far defied the American directive [41525]. Meanwhile, Rodríguez has pledged military cooperation with Colombia, hosting Colombian President Gustavo Petro for talks on joint security efforts—a move that signals a potential shift in regional diplomacy [132556].

With Maduro removed, Venezuela faces a dangerous power vacuum [41136]. No permanent successor has been named, and the Venezuelan military has not issued a public response to the operation [41379][41136]. The U.S. now controls a nation holding the world’s largest proven oil reserves, but whose economy has been shattered by hyperinflation, food shortages, and a severe humanitarian crisis [41227][40871][42114].