> At a Glance
> – Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro captured in a surprise US operation and flown to New York
> – First court appearance set for Monday at noon before Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein
> – DOJ, DEA, FBI say months of planning went into the arrest
> – Why it matters: The once-untouchable leader now faces US justice on narco-terrorism charges
The United States pulled off a stunning operation, seizing Nicolás Maduro inside Venezuela and delivering him to a Brooklyn detention center to face federal drug and narco-terrorism charges in Manhattan.
The Capture
Federal agents arrested Maduro and his wife during a lightning raid that required, in the agencies’ words, “months of coordination, detailed planning and seamless execution.” A joint statement from the Department of Justice, Drug Enforcement Administration and FBI said Washington had “pursued every lawful option to resolve this matter peacefully,” but those efforts “were repeatedly rejected.”
> Attorney General Pam Bondi posted on X: “The responsibility for this outcome rests solely with those who chose to continue criminal conduct rather than disengage.”
Charges and Court Date
Maduro is under indictment in the Southern District of New York for:
- Large-scale narcotics trafficking
- Narco-terrorism offenses prosecutors say have “destabilized the region” and “contributed directly to the drug crisis claiming American lives”
U.S. District Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein will preside over the initial hearing.
Street Reaction
Protesters converged Sunday outside the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn:
- Chants of “Hands off Venezuela’s oil” and “No, no blood for oil” echoed through the street
- Signs read “No U.S. War on Venezuela,” “Stop Bombing Venezuela,” “U.S. Out of the Caribbean”
- Police set up metal barriers to control the crowd
Key Takeaways
- Maduro’s arrest marks a dramatic escalation in US-Venezuela tensions
- Federal agencies frame the mission as a strike against drug networks harming American communities
- Protesters view the move as unwanted US interference
- The case now moves to a Manhattan courtroom, with Monday’s hearing expected to draw global attention
