Trump orders Venezuela strikes, captures Maduro and brings him to Manhattan

Key moments from the U.S. operation to arrest Maduro and move him to New York

The sequence of events surrounding the U.S. arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro began with a decision inside the Trump administration, then moved quickly into a weekend operation in and around Caracas and, days later, a court appearance in Manhattan. On Jan. 3, President Donald Trump publicly said the U.S. carried out a “large scale strike” in Venezuela and captured Maduro, adding that a news conference would follow. The reporting also described American forces converging on Caracas to detain Maduro and his wife before moving them away from the country.

The timeline, as described in reporting, places the authorization for the strikes on Jan. 2, when Trump gave the go-ahead for U.S. strikes in Venezuela. In the early hours of Jan. 3, at least seven explosions and low-flying aircraft were heard around 2 a.m. local time in Caracas, and U.S. forces then arrived at Maduro’s compound at 1:01 a.m. EST. Later in the morning, the operation shifted from seizure to withdrawal, with U.S. forces described as “over the water” beyond the Venezuelan coastline at 3:29 a.m. EST, headed back to U.S. ships stationed in the Caribbean Sea.

Trump then announced the capture shortly after, posting on Truth Social at 4:21 a.m. EST that the U.S. had carried out the “large scale strike” and captured Maduro, and that he would hold a news conference at 11 a.m. EST. The reporting also described Maduro’s wife being taken along in the operation and the couple being transported afterward from a U.S. warship to a plane and eventually to a downtown Manhattan courthouse for arraignment.

Venezuela’s top officials immediately challenged what they described as the uncertainty surrounding Maduro’s whereabouts. Venezuela’s vice president Delcy Rodríguez said, “We do not know the whereabouts of President Nicolás Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores,” and demanded “proof of life.” In parallel, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said Maduro and his wife would face criminal charges in New York after an indictment, describing in a social media post that the couple would “soon face the full wrath of American justice on American soil in American courts.”

At a later point during the public rollout of the operation, Trump told Fox News the couple was aboard the USS Iwo Jima and headed to New York for prosecution. The Justice Department then released a new indictment accusing Maduro and his wife of their alleged roles in a narco-terrorism conspiracy. The reporting also described Trump posting an image of Maduro wearing a sweatsuit and a blindfold, captioned “Nicolas Maduro on board the USS Iwo Jima.”

Trump’s public briefing on the operation included Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, CIA Director John Ratcliffe and Stephen Miller, a senior White House aide overseeing homeland security matters. At the press conference, Trump said the U.S. was “ going to run” Venezuela until a “judicious” transition of power, while the reporting notes that at that time there were no visible signs the U.S. was controlling the country. Hours after the operation, Rodríguez delivered a televised address of less than 15 minutes in which she left open a door for dialogue with the U.S. while also seeking to calm supporters in the ruling party.

As Venezuela moved to manage the leadership vacuum created by Maduro’s removal, the reporting said Venezuela’s high court ordered Rodríguez to assume the role of interim president, and that the interim leadership was backed by Venezuela’s military. Elsewhere, the U.N. Security Council held an emergency meeting where allies and adversaries of the United States voiced opposition to the raid, according to the reporting. Maduro’s son, Maduro Guerra—also known as “Nicolásito”—appeared in Venezuela’s National Assembly, where lawmakers elected in parliamentary elections last May were set to be sworn in, demanding that his parents be returned by American authorities and calling for international support.

In the days after the capture, the reporting described additional statements by Trump while he traveled, including comments on other regional leaders and on Cuba in the context of U.S. operations. On Jan. 4, the Cuban government announced on Cuban state TV that American military strikes in Venezuela had killed 32 Cuban military and police officers who had been on a mission at the request of Venezuela’s government. Also on Jan. 4, Trump said Venezuela was sick and needed U.S. support, and he made additional comments about Colombia, Mexico and President Claudia Sheinbaum, as reported.

By Jan. 5, Maduro and his wife were described as set for a first appearance in U.S. court. The reporting said Maduro arrived at the federal courthouse in New York City and that he later pleaded not guilty, telling a judge, “I am a decent man, the president of my country.” The reporting also said Maduro’s next court date was set for March 17.