United States federal authorities have stated that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores, are in U.S. custody and will be processed and held pending trial on federal criminal charges, according to multiple media reports and statements attributed to U.S. officials.
The announcement, reported late Saturday by outlets including ABC News, cited unnamed sources claiming that Maduro would be transferred to a federal detention facility in Manhattan following his arrival in New York City. U.S. officials have not publicly released details regarding the timing, route, or security arrangements of the alleged transfer.
According to statements attributed to senior U.S. administration figures, American forces carried out a covert operation in Venezuela early Saturday morning. Reports describe military and law-enforcement coordination involving air and ground activity in and around Caracas, where explosions and aircraft movements were reportedly observed.
In a message posted on social media, U.S. President Donald Trump claimed that Maduro and Flores had been captured and removed from Venezuela in coordination with U.S. law-enforcement agencies. Independent confirmation of these claims has not been provided by international observers or Venezuelan authorities.
Maduro has been under U.S. indictment since 2020, when federal prosecutors in the Southern District of New York charged him with narco-terrorism conspiracy, drug trafficking, and related offenses. Maduro has consistently denied the allegations, describing them as politically motivated.
U.S. Justice Department officials, including Attorney General Pam Bondi, have stated that the case would proceed through the federal judicial system, with Maduro and Flores expected to remain in federal custody pending trial. Officials emphasized that the involvement of law-enforcement agencies, alongside military elements, reflects the dual nature of the operation as both a security action and a criminal prosecution under U.S. law.
If confirmed, the events would represent an unprecedented escalation in U.S.–Latin American relations. As of now, however, key aspects of the claims remain unverified, and no official statement has been released by the Venezuelan government.
