Deposed Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife appeared in a federal court in New York City on Monday, following their capture by U.S. forces over the weekend in a military operation in the Venezuelan capital of Caracas.
Following the operation, President Donald Trump said that the U.S. would "run" Venezuela for an unspecified "period of time."
Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez has been sworn in as interim leader to lead the country after what the Venezuelan Supreme Court described as Maduro's "kidnapping."
Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, are both scheduled to make their initial appearances in Manhattan federal court at noon ET on Monday before Judge Alvin Hellerstein.
Like her husband, Flores is in federal custody at MDC-Brooklyn.
It was not immediately clear whether either of them had retained legal counsel ahead of their arraignments.
Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro is escorted by U.S. Drug Enforcement Agents after arriving in New York City, January 3, 2026.
Obtained by ABC News
Maduro and Flores are among six defendants named in a 4-count superseding indictment that accused them of conspiring with violent, dangerous drug traffickers for the last 25 years.
Maduro’s son, two high-ranking Venezuelan officials and an alleged leader of the Tren de Aragua criminal gang are the other defendants.
-ABC News' Katherine Faulders and Aaron Katersky
Jan 04, 2026, 1:51 PM EST
Joint statement details DOJ interagency effort to capture Maduro
The operation to capture and bring Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro to the U.S. took months of planning with the Department of Defense, according to a joint statement from the agency and the Justice Department, FBI, and the Drug Enforcement Agency.
"Specialized FBI and DEA personnel, including tactical and transport teams, worked alongside DOW and our DOJ attorneys and other DOJ components to ensure the secure movement, control, and transfer of 2 high-risk defendants," the statement says, in part. "All personnel involved acted professionally, decisively, and in strict accordance with U.S. law and established protocols."
Fire at Fuerte Tiuna, Venezuela's largest military complex, is seen from a distance after a series of explosions in Caracas on January 3, 2026. The United States military was behind a series of strikes against the Venezuelan capital Caracas on Saturday, US media reported. The White House and Pentagon have not commented on the explosions and reports of aircraft over the city. US media outlets CBS News and Fox News reported unnamed Trump administration officials confirming that US forces were involved.
Str/AFP via Getty Images
The statement further says the United States "pursued every lawful option to resolve this matter peacefully. Those opportunities were repeatedly rejected. The responsibility for this outcome rests solely with those who chose to continue criminal conduct rather than disengage."
"The mission was conducted to support an ongoing criminal prosecution tied to large-scale narcotics trafficking and related offenses that have fueled violence, destabilized the region, and contributed directly to the drug crisis claiming American lives," according to the statement.
-ABC News' Luke Barr
Jan 04, 2026, 1:30 PM EST
Venezuelan defense minister condemns 'cowardly kidnapping' of Maduro
In a statement released on Sunday, Venezuela's minister of defense condemned the U.S. capture of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, calling it a "cowardly kidnapping."
Maduro and his wife, according to President Donald Trump, were arrested and brought to the United States to face federal narco-terrorism charges.
Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro is escorted by U.S. Drug Enforcement Agents after arriving in New York City, January 3, 2026.
Obtained by ABC News
The statement, posted on the Instagram account for Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez, said a "large part" of Maduro's security team was killed in the U.S. mission that extracted Maduro from his Caracas compound in the early morning hours on Saturday.
The statement goes on to say that the Venezuelan military will support Delcy Rodriguez, Maduro's vice president, as she assumes the role of acting president, and will "guarantee the governability of the country, and our institution will continue to employ all its available capabilities for military defense."
-ABC News' Victoria Beaule
Jan 04, 2026, 11:34 AM EST
Maduro to appear in Manhattan federal court on Monday on alleged drug charges
Ousted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro will appear in Manhattan federal court on Monday for arraignment on a four-count indictment that will charge him with allegedly leading a 25-year narco-terrorism conspiracy.
