Three days after U.S. special forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and wife Cilia Flores in a Caracas raid on narco-terrorism charges—as detailed in our initial coverage—Maduro now awaits trial in a New York federal prison. Delcy Rodríguez has been sworn in as interim president, facing U.S. threats of further action, domestic repression by pro-regime militias, and international backlash.
The January 3-4, 2026, raid, part of escalating U.S. actions including prior strikes on drug vessels and an oil blockade, has led to rapid developments. Maduro and Flores were extracted with minimal resistance and transported to the U.S., where they face trial. President Trump hailed the operation as precise enforcement, not invasion, while threatening a 'second strike' if Rodríguez refuses cooperation on issues like oil access and narco-trafficking.
In Venezuela, a state of emergency has stifled activity: pro-Maduro Colectivos have erected checkpoints in Caracas, sparking fear among residents like Mirelvis Escalona, who noted armed civilians and unpredictability. Authorities detained 14 journalists (13 released), arrested celebrants of the capture, and limited protests to two small pro-regime rallies. Opposition leader María Corina Machado, 2025 Nobel Peace Prize winner, denounced Rodríguez as an 'architect of torture, persecution, corruption, [and] narco-trafficking.'
U.S. domestic debate intensified: the raid bypassed Congress, prompting Democratic criticism from Sen. Chuck Schumer on vague plans and risks of chaos, countered by House Speaker Mike Johnson's defense of presidential authority. Potential policy shifts include revoking Temporary Protected Status for 500,000 Venezuelans, possibly speeding deportations if stability returns.
Globally, the UN decried the extraterritorial action as illegal; leftist governments in Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, Russia, and China condemned it, while Argentina and Ecuador backed it. Analyst Tiziano Breda pointed to U.S. aims of hemispheric dominance, migration control, and resource security beyond drugs.
