US Indicts Venezuelan President Maduro, Cilia Flores Amid Trump-Led Capture Operation

Washington, Jan 2026 : US Attorney General Pam Bondi announced on Saturday that Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, have been indicted in the Southern District of New York on multiple federal charges, including drug trafficking and terrorism-related offenses.

Earlier in the day, US President Donald Trump claimed that Maduro and Flores had been “captured” and “flown out” of Caracas during a large-scale military operation. Taking to his social media platform Truth Social, Trump stated, “The United States of America has successfully carried out a large-scale strike against Venezuela and its leader, President Nicolas Maduro, who has been, along with his wife, captured and flown out of the country.” He added that the operation was conducted in conjunction with US law enforcement and that further details would be shared during a news conference at Mar-a-Lago later in the day.

Attorney General Bondi provided further specifics on the charges. According to her statement, Maduro has been charged with Narco-Terrorism Conspiracy, Cocaine Importation Conspiracy, Possession of Machineguns and Destructive Devices, and Conspiracy to Possess Machineguns and Destructive Devices against the United States.

“They will soon face the full wrath of American justice on American soil in American courts,” Bondi wrote on X. She extended gratitude to President Trump for demanding accountability and praised the US military for executing what she described as an “incredible and highly successful mission” to capture the alleged international narco traffickers.

In Venezuela, Vice President Delcy Rodríguez said on Saturday that the whereabouts of Maduro and Flores remain unknown following US strikes in Caracas, Miranda, Aragua, and La Guaira during the early hours of the morning, local time. Rodríguez reportedly demanded proof of life from the US government and urged Venezuelans to participate in a “civic-military fusion” to defend the country, according to Venezuelan daily El Nacional, which cited a telephone interview Rodríguez gave to Venezolana de Televisión.

Reports indicate that the operation involved a significant deployment of US special forces. According to El Nacional, citing sources consulted by Fox News, the nighttime strike included Chinook helicopters and other elite assets. Several large explosions were heard across Caracas early Saturday, creating panic among residents.

American media outlets reported that Maduro was apprehended by a unit of the US Army’s elite Delta Force. Administration sources told El Nacional that Trump had authorized the operation after months of increased US military presence off Venezuela’s coast and persistent calls from the White House for Maduro to step down.

The unprecedented strike has sparked global attention and raised questions about international law, Venezuelan sovereignty, and the implications for US-Latin America relations. While the operation was hailed by US officials as a decisive blow against narco-terrorism, it has fueled immediate concern in Caracas, with the Venezuelan leadership calling for civic mobilization and international scrutiny of the incident.

Team Maverick.

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