At a Glance
- Nicolás Maduro captured in Venezuela and flown to New York
- First court appearance set for Monday at noon in lower Manhattan
- Indicted on drug and narco-terrorism charges alongside his wife
- Why it matters: The surprise extradition marks a dramatic escalation in U.S.-Venezuela tensions
Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro is behind bars in Brooklyn and will face a federal judge Monday, one day after U.S. agents snatched him in a lightning raid that ended months of quiet negotiations.
The Capture
Maduro and his wife were seized inside Venezuela on Saturday during an operation that the Department of Justice, DEA and FBI said demanded “months of coordination, detailed planning and seamless execution.”
U.S. District Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein has drawn the case; Monday’s hearing is scheduled for noon at the lower Manhattan courthouse.
Official Statement
In a joint Sunday statement, federal agencies said:
- Every lawful avenue to resolve the standoff peacefully was pursued
- Those offers were “repeatedly rejected”
- “The responsibility for this outcome rests solely with those who chose to continue criminal conduct rather than disengage”
Attorney General Pam Bondi posted the full text on X.
Street Reaction
About 100 protesters massed Sunday outside the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, waving signs that read:
- “Hands off Venezuela’s oil”
- “No U.S. War on Venezuela”
- “U.S. Out of the Caribbean”
NYPD officers ringed the facility with metal barriers while demonstrators chanted and clapped.
Charges and Context
Maduro and his wife were indicted in New York on:
- Large-scale narcotics trafficking
- Narco-terrorism
Prosecutors link the alleged scheme to regional violence and the flow of drugs that “contributed directly to the drug crisis claiming American lives.”
Key Takeaways
- Maduro’s surprise extradition caps a long-running U.S. investigation
- Monday’s hearing will set the next legal steps
- Street protests signal brewing backlash over U.S. intervention
The case now shifts to a downtown courtroom where a federal judge will decide how the once-untouchable Venezuelan president answers U.S. drug charges.
