US bombs Venezuela, captures Pres. Maduro

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro was in a New York jail Saturday, hours after American special forces seized and flew him out of his country — which Donald Trump said would come under effective US control.

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This screengrab taken from the X account of Rapid Response 47, the official White House rapid response account, shows Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro (C) escorted by DEA agents inside the headquarters of the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in lower Manhattan, New York, on January 3, 2026.

(AGENCE FRANCE PRESSE)

The US president’s announcement followed a lightning predawn attack in which commandos grabbed Maduro and his wife while air strikes pounded sites in and around Caracas.

A US government plane carrying Maduro landed at a military base shortly after nightfall, and he was transported by helicopter to New York City, where the couple is to be arraigned on drug trafficking and weapons charges.

The White House posted video on X of Maduro, handcuffed and in sandals, escorted by federal agents through a US Drug Enforcement Administration facility in New York.

“Good night, happy new year,” the 63-year-old leftist is heard saying in English.

Despite the success of the risky raid, what happens next is highly uncertain.

Trump said he was “designating people” from his cabinet to be in charge in Venezuela but gave no further details.

In another surprise, Trump indicated US troops could be deployed, saying Washington is “not afraid of boots on the ground.”

But he appeared to reject the possibility of the country’s opposition taking power and said he could work instead with Maduro’s vice president, Delcy Rodriguez.