By Gia Jarmin
On January 3, 2026, President Nicolás Maduro of Venezuela was captured by US forces after a coordinated attack on Maduro’s compound in Caracas. Maduro and his wife were transported to the US, and were held in the Metropolitan Detention Center, located in New York City. Maduro was then brought into court and indicted on several narcoterrorism charges, including his past charge from 2020 for the cocaine-related crimes he has committed in the past; Maduro pleaded not guilty.
President of the United States, Donald Trump, ordered a brazen operation in South America to capture its leader, Maduro Moros. President Donald Trump and the U.S. The military transported Maduro and Cilia from Venezuela to the USS Iwo Jima warship, then flew them to New York City to face federal charges. Soon after the capturing of Maduro, the administration planned to put him on trial. President Donald Trump says Maduro was highly protected as the U.S. The military brought Maduro and his wife to court.
Maduro Moros, has led the country of Venezuela for nearly 13 years, as he was first elected in April 2013, following the death of the past president, Hugo Chavez. He was elected a second time in 2019, and has been president ever since
On March 26, 2020 President Maduro was first charged with drug trafficking and cocaine-related crimes, like importing cocaine into the United States. Attorney General Barr stated, “For more than 20 years, Maduro and a number of high-ranking colleagues allegedly conspired with the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Columbia, causing tons of cocaine to enter and devastate American communities.”
Maduro says, “I am innocent. I am not guilty. I am a decent man. I am still the president of my country.”
About 65% of Republicans, 11% of Democrats, and 23% of Independents approved of the U.S. military capturing the president of Maduro. Most Americans say they strongly agree with the military force and some Americans say they are unsure about how they feel about this situation. “We are not at war with Venezuela but we are at war with people who sell drugs,” Trump says.
Maduro denied the accusations he was accused of and said, “They were a mask for imperialist designs on Venezuela’s oil reserves.” Maduro claims he was kidnapped by the U.S. military as they shackled his ankles and put him in an orange and beige prison garb. Maduro’s lawyer, Barry Pollack, says his client was “military abducted.”
Maduro’s wife, Cilia Flores, also pleaded not guilty to the same charge. Maduro and Flores have another court date set for March 17, 2026 in New York City, following their accusations of drug trafficking.
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