• Former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores captured in a U.S. military operation and are now in custody.
  • They are expected to be taken to New York to face indictments in the Southern District, with potential court appearances as early as Monday.
  • The capture follows a large-scale strike on Venezuela, marking a dramatic escalation in U.S. efforts to hold Maduro accountable on narco-terrorism charges.

In a stunning development, former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores are in U.S. custody after a military operation on January 3, 2026, and are slated to face indictments in the Southern District of New York. According to people familiar with the matter, they could appear in court as early as Monday, though the exact timing remains unconfirmed. The operation, conducted by Delta Force, targeted multiple locations across northern Venezuela, including Caracas, with reports of explosions and low-flying aircraft observed in the area.

President Trump announced the capture via Truth Social at approximately 5:21 a.m. VET, stating they had been "captured and flown out of the Country." Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed that Maduro has been arrested and will face criminal charges in the U.S., adding that the administration "anticipates no further action in Venezuela" now that he is in custody. This move comes after the U.S. had placed a $50 million bounty on Maduro, which was doubled from an earlier reward.

Maduro was indicted in March 2020 on narco-terrorism conspiracy charges, with federal prosecutors alleging he collaborated with Colombian guerrilla groups to traffic cocaine and weapons to the United States. He was also accused of leading the Cártel de Los Soles, designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the Trump administration. Efforts to restructure Venezuela's political landscape have hit a snag, with the capture occurring exactly 35 years to the day after U.S. forces arrested Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega on January 3, 1990.

Venezuela's government immediately declared a national state of emergency, condemning the strikes as "imperialist aggression" and calling for a UN Security Council convocation. Vice President Delcy Rodríguez confirmed that both Maduro and his wife were missing and demanded "proof of life," though attempts to reach out for further comment were unsuccessful. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau called the capture "a new dawn for Venezuela," stating "the tyrant is gone."

The military action followed the disputed July 2024 Venezuelan presidential election, in which the U.S. recognized opposition candidate Edmundo González as the winner and imposed sanctions against election officials for allegedly rigging the outcome. Maduro was sworn in for a third term in January 2026 despite global outcry, setting the stage for this dramatic intervention. Without a deal to address the charges, Maduro and his wife would be forced into a protracted legal battle in U.S. courts.

President Trump announced a press conference at 11:00 a.m. EST to provide further details about the operation, as markets reacted with volatility to the news. The capture underscores the ongoing tensions in U.S.-Venezuela relations and raises questions about the future of the country's leadership and stability. Industry-specific elements, such as the filing deadlines for the indictments and the potential for extradition proceedings, are likely to dominate legal discussions in the coming days.

Correction: An earlier version of this article misstated the timing of the press conference; it has been updated to reflect the correct time of 11:00 a.m. EST.