Donald Trump has said the U.S. “captured” Venezuela’s president, Nicolás Maduro, and his wife, Cilia Flores, and flew them out of the South American country during a pre-dawn assault on Caracas and the surrounding region.
The U.S. attorney general, Pam Bondi, said the couple would face criminal charges and trial in the U.S. based on a 2020 New York indictment.
It was not immediately clear what the legal and constitutional authority was for the military operation and the capture and trial of a sovereign head of state. Nor was it clear whether Trump consulted Congress beforehand; it is supposed to be notified by the presidency before any declaration of war.
Writing on social media, Trump confirmed U.S. troops had launched “a large-scale strike against Venezuela”.
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U.S. Has Captured Venezuela’s President Maduro and Wife, Says Trump
01/03/2026
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