Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro arrived at a U.S. military base in New York state after his capture by U.S. forces in Caracas, setting up an initial appearance in Manhattan federal court on drug-trafficking charges as President Donald Trump declared the United States would “run” Venezuela until a transition can be arranged.
Maduro was seen flanked by FBI agents as he stepped off a U.S. government plane at a National Guard facility and was escorted across the tarmac. He was expected to be flown by helicopter to New York City, according to U.S. officials. The Justice Department said he is due in court for an initial hearing.
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At a news conference at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, Trump said the United States would oversee Venezuela “until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition.” He did not detail how such control would be exercised inside a country where U.S. forces do not hold territory and the Venezuelan state appears to remain operational. Trump said Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth would be among those “standing right behind me” who would help direct the effort, and he said he was open to deploying U.S. troops: “We’re not afraid of boots on the ground.”
The capture of Maduro, 63, a former bus driver who succeeded Hugo Chávez in 2013, raises the prospect of a power vacuum in a nation critical to regional security and global energy markets. In Caracas, soldiers patrolled parts of the capital and small pro-Maduro gatherings formed, while some residents expressed relief and anticipation of celebrations.
Venezuela’s vice president, Delcy Rodríguez, appeared on state television to denounce what she called a kidnapping. “We demand the immediate release of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores,” Rodríguez said, calling Maduro “the only president of Venezuela.” Trump said his administration has been in contact with Rodríguez and described her as cooperative, adding, “She really doesn’t have a choice.”
Maduro was previously indicted in the United States on charges that include narco-terrorism conspiracy, allegations he has denied as a pretext for Washington to seize Venezuela’s vast oil reserves. Trump repeatedly referenced Venezuelan oil in his remarks, saying any U.S. occupation “won’t cost us a penny” because it would be reimbursed with “money coming out of the ground.”
The White House has not said which domestic or opposition actors it plans to work with inside Venezuela. Trump publicly ruled out engaging with opposition leader María Corina Machado, saying she lacks sufficient support and respect in the country — a claim her backers disputed. Pedro Burelli, a former board member at state oil company PDVSA, wrote on X that Machado “is the most respected politician in the country.”
International reaction was swift and divided. Argentina’s President Javier Milei praised what he called Venezuela’s “freedom,” while Mexico condemned the intervention and Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said it crossed “an unacceptable line.” The United Nations Security Council is scheduled to meet on the U.S. action. Analysts said the move will revive memories in Latin America of U.S. interventions and further complicate Washington’s moral standing abroad.
Trump’s remarks echoed past justifications for military interventions. He has previously criticized the Iraq invasion as “a big fat mistake” and boasted of avoiding new wars, but he framed the Maduro capture as a necessary step to prevent a hostile takeover in Caracas. He compared the posture to a modernized Monroe Doctrine, joking it could be called the “Don-roe Doctrine.”
In Washington, the episode drew immediate political fire as Democrats questioned the costs and goals. “How does going to war in South America help regular Americans who are struggling?” Sen. Chris Murphy wrote on X. Outside the White House, about 100 protesters organized by anti-war groups called the detention a “kidnapping” and urged Maduro’s return to Venezuela.
Amid the uncertainty over who governs in Caracas, U.S. officials said Maduro will face the American justice system first. What comes after — and how the United States intends to “run” another sovereign state — remains unclear.
By Abdiwahab Ahmed
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
