CloseVenezuelan president Nicolas Maduro was set to appear in a New York court on Monday to face drug and weapons charges after he was captured by U.S. forces.
Maduro is set to appear in the court of district judge Alvin Hellerstein at noon ET.
Secretary of state Marco Rubio suggested that America would not govern Venezuela day-to-day other than enforcing an existing "oil quarantine", a walkback on president Donald Trump’s insistence that Washington would run the South American country.
Rubio insisted that the U.S. was not at war with Venezuela after some Democratic lawmakers described the military operation to seize Maduro as an "act of war".
Trump, meanwhile, warned that Venezuela's new leader Delcy Rodríguez could end up with a fate worse than Maduro if she “doesn’t do what’s right” after she was sworn in as acting president.
He also threatened military action could extend to Colombia, urged Mexico to get its “act together”, and said the U.S. “needs Greenland”.
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Recap: How US strikes and capture of Venezuelan president unfolded
- The world was stunned when the U.S. launched strikes on Venezuela in the early hours of Saturday (January 3), which rocked the capital of Caracas, while U.S. forces captured President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores from their home in a “meticulously planned” operation that was months in the making.
- Maduro and his wife were forced from their home and taken to New York via a U.S. Navy vessel, where they were indicted on several offenses, including narco-terrorism.
- President Donald Trump and top administration officials held a press conference at Mar-a-Lago Saturday morning, where Trump announced the U.S. would be “running” Venezuela in the meantime.
- Trump did not offer specifics about who would be running the country, but said his officials would be part of a team working with the Venezuelans in the interim.
- The president mentioned Venezuela’s oil industry several times during the press conference, leading to accusations from critics that the military action was about oil, and not drugs, as the administration has claimed.
- Maduro and his wife arrived on U.S. soil late afternoon Saturday and were in New York City by the evening.
- Maduro is currently being held at Brooklyn’s notorious Metropolitan Detention Center ahead of his first appearance in court, scheduled for Monday.
- Trump issued a threat to Maduro’s vice president that she could face a fate worse than the ousted Venezuelan leader “if she does not do what’s right.”
- Secretary of State Marco Rubio appeared on the Sunday morning shows, where he reinforced the Trump administration’s message that the capture of Maduro “had to be done.”
- Rubio refused to give details about who was running the country right now and said people were “fixating” on it.
Read moreRhian Lubin4 January 2026 15:49
In pictures: Protests erupt over 'kidnapping' of Venezuelan leader
Demonstrators took to the streets in cities across Asia on Monday to protest against the United States following the capture of Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro.
In Manila, protesters rallied near the US embassy, chanting slogans against Washington and Trump, as they condemned what they described as an attack on Venezuela’s sovereignty.
Marchers waved flags and carried banners denouncing the seizure of Maduro and US military action.
The banners read “hands off Venezuela” and “condemn Trump’s kidnapping of Maduro”.
In Seoul, demonstrators gathered outside the US embassy holding placards criticising the Trump administration and calling for an end to what they said was US interference in Venezuela.
Some protesters donned masks depicting President Trump, staging street performances to dramatise their opposition to US foreign policy and the detention of the Venezuelan leader.
The protests highlight growing anger among activist groups in parts of Asia over Washington’s actions in Latin America, with demonstrators warning that the operation sets a dangerous precedent for international law and state sovereignty.
Shweta Sharma5 January 2026 05:11
China says it cannot accept countries acting as 'world judge' after US captures Maduro
Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi said Beijing could not accept any country acting as the “world’s judge” after U.S. forces captured Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro.
“We have never believed that any country can act as the world’s police, nor do we accept that any nation can claim to be the world’s judge,” Wang told Pakistani foreign minister Ishaq Dar during a meeting in Beijing on Sunday.
He referred to “sudden developments in Venezuela” without directly naming the US.
“The sovereignty and security of all countries should be fully protected under international law,” Wang added, in his first public remarks since images of Maduro blindfolded and handcuffed stunned Venezuelans on Saturday.
Maduro is being held at a detention facility in New York and is expected to appear in court on Monday.
China has sought to position itself as a diplomatic heavyweight, a goal it articulated most clearly after brokering a surprise rapprochement between Saudi Arabia and Iran in 2023, pledging to “play a constructive role in global hotspot issues".
Analysts say Beijing’s ability to hold its own against Washington in trade negotiations has bolstered its confidence on the global stage.
President Donald Trump’s assertion that the US will temporarily oversee Venezuela’s government now poses a major test for the “all-weather comprehensive strategic partnership” China and Venezuela signed in 2023, marking nearly 50 years of diplomatic ties.
“It was a big blow to China – we wanted to appear as a dependable friend to Venezuela,” a Chinese government official briefed on a recent meeting between Maduro and China’s special envoy for Latin America, Qiu Xiaoqi, said.
China has provided Venezuela with an economic lifeline since US-led sanctions intensified in 2017, purchasing about $1.6bn in goods in 2024, nearly half of it crude oil, according to customs data.
Shweta Sharma5 January 2026 04:59
Recap: What is Maduro and his family accused of?
The Department of Justice has unsealed a sweeping grand jury indictment accusing Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro of leading a massive cocaine trafficking operation.
He is due to appear in federal court Monday at noon ET/ 5 p.m. GMT.
A 25-page document from federal prosecutors in New York City claims Maduro, his wife and Venezuelan officials have “abused their positions of public trust and corrupted once-legitimate institutions to import tons of cocaine into the United States.”
The four-count indictment, unsealed hours after Donald Trump announced the capture of Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores, claims the Venezuelan president and his family enriched themselves with a “cycle of narcotics-based corruption.”
Alex Woodward breaks down the charges:
Maduro faces ‘narco-terrorism’ grand jury indictment. Here are the charges
Four-count indictment alleges recently captured president and his wife enriched themselves with ‘cycle of narcotics-based corruption’Mike Bedigan5 January 2026 04:50
Oil prices fall only slightly following Maduro's capture
Oil prices fell by just less than one percent after trading opened Sunday evening, after the capture of ousted Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro.
Analysis from The New York Times suggested that the drop to around $57 per barrel highlights how the South American nation is a relatively small player is in global oil markets.
Mike Bedigan5 January 2026 04:20
MTG breaks with Trump one last time and claims US involvement in Venezuela ‘doesn’t serve’ American people
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, on her final day as congresswoman, was the president’s strongest Republican critic on the Sunday show circuit this week in the wake of a stunning U.S. operation in Venezuela that led to the capture of Nicolas Maduro.
The Republican firebrand was on NBC’s Meet the Press for the last time as a member of the House as she argued that President Donald Trump was once again turning away from the domestic agenda she has argued for months is a reason for the his decreasing popularity among his base.
“I am not defending Maduro and of course I am happy for the people of Venezuela to be liberated,” Greene said. “[But] this is the same Washington playbook that we are so sick and tired of, that doesn't serve the American people, but actually serves the big corporations, the banks, and the oil executives.”
John Bowden has the details.
MTG takes another swipe at Trump Venezuela before she leaves Congress
Greene says Trump’s voters ‘sick and tired’ of foreign policy focus that she says enriches wealthy interestsJohn Bowden5 January 2026 03:50
Trump threatens military operation against Colombia
U.S. president Donald Trump has threatened military action against Colombia’s government, saying the option “sounds good to me”.
"Colombia is very sick, too, run by a sick man, who likes making cocaine and selling to the United States, and he's not going to be doing it very long," Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One, in an apparent reference to Colombia's president Gustavo Petro.
Asked directly whether the U.S. would pursue a military operation against the country, Trump answered, "It sounds good to me."
The comments came after the United States captured Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro in an audacious raid and whisked him to New York to face drug-trafficking charges.
The US sanctioned Petro in the autumn after Trump blamed the leader for failing to curb drug trafficking in the country allowing cartels to “flourish”.
The country had become a refuge to hundreds of Venezuelans who fled Maduro’s rule in recent years.
Shweta Sharma5 January 2026 03:36
Edmundo Gonzalez calls on Venezuelan military to bring him to power
Venezuelan opposition politician Edmundo Gonzalez called for the country’s military to bring him to power after following the capture and ousting of president Nicolas Maduro.
“Our commitment is: loyalty to the people, to freedom, and to the rule of law,” Gonzalea said, in a post on X translated from Spanish, accompanying a lengthier video message.
“We will never betray our principles; that will be the foundation for the reconstruction of the nation. Venezuela deserves a future with rights and hope.
In the video, Gonzalez, whom many consider to have been the real winner of the 2024 election in Venezuela, referred to himself as “president” of the country.
“This is a historic moment. We face it with calm, clarity and democratic commitment,” he said, also calling for the release of political prisoners held by the Venezuelan government.
Mike Bedigan5 January 2026 03:10
Cuba says 32 of its citizens killed in Maduro extraction
Cuba confirmed on Sunday that 32 of its citizens were killed during the U.S. raid on Venezuela to exract president Nicolas Maduro.
The Cuban government declared two days of mourning on 5 and 6 January to honor the people who were killed in the U.S. strikes.
The government said all the people killed were members of the Cuban armed forces and intelligence agencies, but gave few details.
"True to their responsibilities concerning security and defense, our compatriots fulfilled their duty with dignity and heroism and fell, after fierce resistance, in direct combat against the attackers or as a result of bombings on the facilities," the statement said.
Cuba has provided some security for Maduro since he came to power. It was not clear how many Cubans were guarding the Venezuelan president when they died and how many may have perished elsewhere.
Shweta Sharma5 January 2026 03:02
Trump says that US is ‘in charge’ of Venezuela after capture of Maduro
Donald Trump insisted on Sunday night that the U.S. is “in charge” of Venezuela after American military forces toppled Nicolas Maduro over the weekend.
Trump told reporters onboard Air Force One that his administration was “dealing with the people that just got sworn in,” seemingly referring to acting president Delcy Rodriguez.
Read the full story here:
Trump says that US is ‘in charge’ of Venezuela after capture of Maduro
Trump also gave Colombia warning and told reporters that military action there ‘sounds good to me’Mike Bedigan5 January 2026 02:40NewerOlder
