Nicolas Maduro has been filmed arriving at a detention centre in New York after being captured and flown to the US in an extraordinary operation yesterday morning.
The Venezuelan leader wished onlookers a ‘good night’ and ‘happy new year’ as he entered the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, flanked by two men who appeared to be from the US Drug Enforcement Administration.
An indictment, unsealed upon Maduro’s arrival this morning, accuses him of linking up with ‘some of the most violent and prolific drug traffickers and narco-terrorists in the world’.
He is charged with narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy, possession of machine guns and destructive devices, and conspiracy to possess machine guns and destructive devices.
President Donald Trump told a press conference yesterday that the US would run Venezuela in Maduro’s absence.
The oil-rich South American nation would be administered by a group, he said, while motioning to figures behind him including secretary of state Marco Rubio and defence secretary Pete Hegseth.
Trump also pledged to pump ‘billions of dollars’ into exploiting the country’s natural resources.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the UK has ‘long supported a transition of power in Venezuela’ and regards Maduro as an ‘illegitimate president’.
He added: ‘I reiterated my support for international law this morning.
‘The UK government will discuss the evolving situation with US counterparts in the days ahead as we seek a safe and peaceful transition to a legitimate government that reflects the will of the Venezuelan people.’
Maduro, a former bus driver, seized power in 2013 after being picked by his predecessor as president Hugo Chavez.
In 2024, he claimed to have won a presidential election which was widely denounced for failing to meet international integrity standards. The full results have still not been published.
Last month, the UK representative at the UN Security Council called for a ‘peaceful, negotiated transition in Venezuela which ensures that the will of all Venezuelans is respected’.
The swift operation began early on Saturday morning when explosions were heard at several sites around the capital Caracas.
Trump revealed Maduro had been captured in a Truth Social post containing a picture of the leader blindfolded and handcuffed while wearing a grey Nike sweatsuit.
Demonstrations both for and against the capture sprung up around the world, with many Venezuelans celebrating the apparent end of a widely loathed regime.
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check our news page.
