Former Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro is being held in a New York detention facility after a dramatic US military operation that removed him from Caracas, with President Donald Trump saying the United States will take control of Venezuela until a political transition is completed.
Trump said US forces carried out a swift raid to capture Maduro and that Washington would temporarily administer the oil-rich country, including overseeing its vast energy resources. He gave no detailed timeline or framework for how the transition would be managed.
Maduro, who is facing drug trafficking and related charges in the United States, is expected to appear before a federal court in Manhattan. Images of him blindfolded and handcuffed during his transfer to the US have circulated widely, sparking shock and mixed reactions among Venezuelans and the international community.
Allies of Maduro have condemned the operation as a kidnapping and insist he remains Venezuela’s legitimate president. Senior figures in Caracas accused the US of violating national sovereignty and pursuing control over Venezuela’s natural resources.
Trump dismissed calls for Venezuela’s opposition leaders to immediately assume power, arguing they lack sufficient domestic backing. Opposition figures maintain that their candidate won the last presidential election and should lead the country.
Many Venezuelans abroad celebrated Maduro’s removal, blaming years of economic collapse, repression and mass emigration on his rule. Inside Venezuela, uncertainty prevailed, with reports of panic buying, security patrols and small rival demonstrations by supporters and opponents of the former leader.
The US president said American oil companies would return to Venezuela to rehabilitate its deteriorated oil sector, acknowledging the process would take time. He also said the US was not ruling out a sustained military presence if required.
The move has triggered sharp international reactions. Several governments called for respect for international law and warned against unilateral military action, while others openly criticised the operation as a dangerous precedent. An emergency meeting of the UN Security Council is expected to address the situation.
Questions remain over who now governs Venezuela, how long the US intends to stay involved, and what political structure will emerge following Maduro’s removal.
