On January 3, 2026, U.S. forces conducted a large-scale military operation in Venezuela, capturing President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, who were then flown out of the country.

The primary reason for the arrest was to bring Maduro to the United States to face long-standing federal criminal charges in New York. These stem from a 2020 indictment (updated and unsealed in recent versions) accusing him of leading a narco-terrorism conspiracy.

Prosecutors allege he partnered with Colombian rebel groups (like the FARC) and others to flood the U.S. with massive quantities of cocaine, using drug trafficking as a weapon against America, while enriching himself, his family, and his regime.

Additional charges include cocaine importation conspiracy, possession of machine guns and destructive devices, and related offenses.

U.S. officials, including President Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi, described the operation as enforcing an arrest warrant tied to these indictments, with the military strikes protecting personnel executing it.

Maduro and his wife are en route to New York for trial.

𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗥𝗘’𝗦 𝗔 𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗦𝗢𝗡 𝗧𝗥𝗨𝗠𝗣 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗡𝗚𝗘𝗗 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗗𝗘𝗣𝗔𝗥𝗧𝗠𝗘𝗡𝗧 𝗢𝗙 𝗗𝗘𝗙𝗘𝗡𝗦𝗘 𝗜𝗡𝗧𝗢 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗗𝗘𝗣𝗔𝗥𝗧𝗠𝗘𝗡𝗧 𝗢𝗙 𝗪𝗔𝗥.