Maduro makes second appearance at New York courthouse
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro made his second appearance in a New York court after his forcible seizure by US troops in a military raid in Caracas in early January.
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro made his second appearance in a New York court after his forcible seizure by US troops in a military raid in Caracas in early January.
The arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro by U.S. forces in the early hours of 3 January 2026 stands as one of the most dramatic and contentious episodes in recent international politics.
Venezuela's acting president Delcy Rodriguez pledged to realize the return of President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, who were seized by the United States on January 3.
Trump said that while he is "very disappointed" with Putin, a Maduro-like capture of the Russian leader is "not necessary".
In a post on Truth Social, the US President said that the decision to call off further strikes comes as relations between Washington and Caracas enter a phase of cooperation, particularly on rebuilding and modernising Venezuela's oil and gas infrastructure, which Trump had previously stated following the first wave of attack on Saturday.
Venezuela was not an aberration. It was a declaration. The forcible removal of Nicolás Maduro was presented as a corrective to criminality and democratic collapse, but it has also reset expectations about how power will now be exercised.
US Navy Growler jets used electronic warfare to disable Venezuela’s air defences, allowing a swift operation that led to Nicolas Maduro’s capture, analysts and reports say.
The 3 January 2026 extraction of Nicolás Maduro by U.S. forces marks one of the most dramatic American interventions in Latin America since the end of the Cold War.
The capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro by the United States has forced the international community to confront an uncomfortable reality: the widening gap between power and its justification.
Reportedly, unidentified drones were seen flying over central Caracas, prompting Venezuelan security forces to respond. The incident unfolded shortly after Rodriguez took the oath of office.
