Nicolas Maduro Detained in New York Following U.S. Operation
Nicolas Maduro was detained in New York after a U.S. operation and is expected to make an initial appearance in Manhattan federal court on Monday. Maduro arrived at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn around 8:52pm ET on Saturday. A plane believed to be carrying Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, landed in New York on Saturday. A video posted by the White House rapid response account shows Maduro handcuffed and escorted by agents at the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration offices.
At a Saturday press conference, former U.S. President Donald Trump stated that the U.S. will run Venezuela during a transition period and will be heavily involved in its oil industry. He also noted that he had not spoken with opposition leader María Corina Machado. In Venezuela, the supreme court has ordered Vice President Delcy Rodríguez to become acting president in Maduro’s absence.
The United Nations Security Council is set to hold an emergency meeting on Monday. The UN Secretary-General expressed alarm over the intervention and called it a dangerous precedent.
According to a senior Venezuelan official, at least 40 people, including civilians and soldiers, were killed in Saturday’s attack. The Metropolitan Detention Center, where Maduro is held, has previously housed notable inmates such as Sean “Diddy” Combs, Sam Bankman-Fried, and Luigi Mangione, reflecting the facility’s profile.
