U.S. Government Announces Capture of Venezuelan Leader Nicolás Maduro

Washington, D.C. — The U.S. government says it has apprehended Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, calling him an “outlaw dictator” and accusing him of committing serious crimes against the United States and the world.

According to top U.S. officials, including President @POTUS and the Department of State, the operation to remove Maduro from power was announced earlier this month during a live briefing from Mar-a-Lago. The President described the capture as a major achievement that only the United States could have carried out.

The Maduro regime has faced international scrutiny and longstanding criminal indictments by the U.S. justice system, including accusations of narco-terrorism, drug trafficking, corruption and collaboration with criminal networks. In August 2025, Washington offered a bounty of up to $50 million for information leading to his arrest.

U.S. forces executed a large-scale operation early in January 2026 in Caracas, Venezuela’s capital, during which Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were reportedly detained and transported to the United States to face criminal charges in federal court.

The extraction and subsequent extradition have triggered international debate over legality and sovereignty, with critics calling the military action a violation of international law, while U.S. officials argue it was justified based on alleged threats and criminal conduct.

Senior U.S. leaders have framed the move as a step toward justice for transnational crimes, though it also raises major geopolitical questions about U.S.–Latin America relations and the future political situation in Venezuela.