US forces capture Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro

On January 3, 2026, the United States carried out military strikes in and around Caracas and seized Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. They were flown to New York, where Maduro was arraigned on January 5 on narco-terrorism and related charges and pleaded not guilty. The charges are allegations that Maduro denies, and the case is before a US federal court. Reports say a trial has been set for June 2027.¹³

Maduro became president in 2013 after Hugo Chavez's death. Venezuela's economy shrank by around three quarters between 2013 and 2021, and more than seven million people left the country. Opposition and many governments rejected the results of the 2018 election and the July 2024 election, in which Maduro was declared the winner and opposition tallies showed the opposition candidate winning. From late 2025 the US built up forces in the Caribbean and struck boats it said were smuggling drugs. The US had long accused Maduro of leading a drug-trafficking network, with a reward on his head.⁴

Venezuela's Supreme Court named Vice President Delcy Rodriguez as interim president, and she was backed by the military. President Donald Trump said the US would temporarily run the country during a transition and spoke of Venezuela's oil. Cuba said 32 of its military and police personnel were killed. Russia, China and many Latin American governments criticized the operation, and the UN Security Council met in emergency session, while others welcomed Maduro's removal. Its legal basis and long-term consequences are still debated.¹²