Live Updates: U.S. Detains Venezuelan Leader, Trump States
On Saturday, President Trump announced that the U.S. had detained Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, indicating that he was being flown out of Venezuela. This would represent a dramatic finale to a protracted effort by Mr. Trump’s administration to remove the authoritarian ruler. The president released this information on Truth Social, his social networking platform, mentioning that the U.S. had engaged in “a large scale strike against Venezuela” in an operation executed “in collaboration with U.S. law enforcement.” He further stated that Maduro’s wife had also been apprehended.
In a brief phone conversation with The New York Times following the announcement, Mr. Trump praised the mission’s success in capturing the Venezuelan president. “A lot of good planning and a lot of great, great troops and great people,” he remarked. “It was actually a brilliant operation.” When inquired if he had sought congressional permission for the operation or what the future holds for Venezuela, Mr. Trump indicated he would cover those issues during a news briefing at 11 a.m. at Mar-a-Lago, his private residence and club located in Palm Beach, Fla.
Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez addressed the matter on a state-operated television channel after Mr. Trump’s declaration, asserting that Maduro’s whereabouts were unknown and demanding Mr. Trump provide proof of life. Earlier that day, the Venezuelan government accused the U.S. of executing military strikes in the capital, Caracas, along with other regions, after reports of significant explosions at a military facility in the city.
In response to the strikes, the Venezuelan government declared a state of emergency, stating they occurred in Caracas as well as in the states of Miranda, Aragua, and La Guaira, as noted by the Venezuelan communications ministry. Venezuela “rejects, repudiates and denounces” U.S. military aggression, according to the statement. It also urged “all social and political forces in the nation to activate mobilization plans and condemn this imperialist assault.”
For months, Mr. Trump had been vocal with threats, warnings, and accusations of drug trafficking against Mr. Maduro, whom the State Department has labeled the head of a “narco-terrorist” state. U.S. officials have characterized Mr. Maduro, a self-proclaimed socialist leading Venezuela since 2013, as an illegitimate authority, accusing him of overseeing criminal factions linked to drug trafficking, charges he refutes.
Since late August, the Pentagon has deployed troops, aircraft, and warships in the Caribbean. The U.S. military has targeted several small vessels that officials claimed were engaged in drug smuggling, resulting in the deaths of at least 115 individuals. Additionally, the C.I.A. executed a drone strike on a port facility in Venezuela the previous month, according to sources informed about the operation.
A wide array of experts on lethal force has indicated that attacks on small vessels constitute illegal extrajudicial killings, though the Trump administration maintains that they comply with warfare laws as the U.S. is involved in an armed conflict with drug cartels. In recent weeks, the U.S. has waged a campaign against tankers transporting Venezuelan crude, disrupting the nation’s oil sector and threatening its primary source of income.
The United States confiscated one sanctioned tanker carrying oil as it was heading from Venezuela to Asia. It also intercepted another oil vessel that was free from U.S. sanctions. Furthermore, the U.S. Coast Guard attempted to board a third tanker en route to Venezuela to collect cargo.
Here is what else to know: Maduro’s security: Prior to the U.S. operation on Saturday, the Venezuelan president had fortified his inner circle and altered his sleeping arrangements to shield himself from a possible targeted strike or special-forces incursion.
U.S. buildup: Last month, C-17 cargo planes—primarily used for the transport of military personnel and supplies—conducted a minimum of 16 flights to Puerto Rico from American military bases, as shown by flight tracking data. The U.S. Southern Command has reported that approximately 15,000 troops are currently stationed in the Caribbean, marking one of the most significant naval deployments in the area in decades.
Cartel accusations: In March 2020, Mr. Maduro was indicted in the U.S. on allegations that he supervised a violent drug organization referred to as Cartel de los Soles. U.S. intelligence assessments suggest that Mr. Maduro is actually in conflict with one group, Tren de Aragua, and analysts have claimed that the Cartel de los Soles does not exist as a tangible organization. The term has been used to describe the involvement of numerous high-ranking military officials in drug trafficking, although there is no proof that Mr. Maduro oversees such efforts.
Genevieve Glatsky and Annie Correal contributed reporting.
Published: 2026-01-03 11:45:00
source: www.nytimes.com
