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."
Trump touts Venezuela operation, says that Maduro is a 'violent guy'
President Donald Trump continued to tout the U.S. military operation in Venezuela, talking about the complexity of the mission and the outcome of the move during remarks to Republicans at the Kennedy Center Tuesday.
"It was an amazing military feat that took place," Trump said.
The president also took the moment to criticize Venezuela's former President Nicolas Maduro, saying that he is a "violent" guy.
President Donald Trump addresses a House Republican retreat at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, January 6, 2026 in Washington.
Alex Wong/Getty Images
"They've been after this guy for years and years and years and he's a violent guy. He gets up there and he tries to imitate my dance a little bit. But he's a violent guy, and he's killed millions of people. He's tortured -- they have a torture chamber in the middle of Caracas that they are closing up. But he's tortured people," Trump said.
-ABC News' Michelle Stoddart
Jan 06, 2026, 12:40 PM EST
Schumer says Venezuela briefing did not answer many of his questions
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, in remarks on the Senate floor this morning, said the briefing he received from administration officials on Monday failed to answer many of his outstanding questions about future plans in Venezuela.
Schumer said he received no clarity on how many troops could be committed to Venezuela or for how long the United States would be "running" the country. He also said the briefers could not provide a cost estimate, nor did they give clarity on whether other countries could be next.
"What we heard was little more than wishful thinking and no real answers," Schumer said.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer speaks to reporters after a closed-door briefing on Capitol Hill, Jan. 5, 2026, in Washington.
Jose Luis Magana/AP
"Sitting in yesterday's briefing, it's clear the administration pulled the trigger on step one of their plan in Venezuela without figuring out how they are going to follow through on steps two through 10," Schumer said.
Schumer warned that actions like this without follow through plans are how the United States gets into "forever wars."
"The administration has a one-day plan of how to get rid of Maduro but no idea what happens after. It's what happened to us in Iraq," Schumer said. "Yes. This is how we get into endless wars: a one-day plan of how to get rid of Maduro but no idea what happens after."
Schumer said we need to "take seriously" the threat that President Trump could take similar action in Colombia or Greenland.
"Donald Trump has opened a Pandora's box. We have to take seriously that after Venezuela he may attack other nations without warning. Maybe Colombia, maybe a NATO ally run by Denmark. All the while, how does any of this belligerence in Venezuela or Greenland put America first?" Schumer said. "How does any of this help people at home pay their bills, pay for their health care, put a roof over their heads, pay for their groceries or their energy bill?"
-ABC News' Allison Pecorin
Jan 06, 2026, 11:29 AM EST
Machado's political party calls for release of political prisoners in Venezuela
Venezuela’s liberal party is calling for the release of all political prisoners in the country, according to a statement released Tuesday morning.
“The time has come to restore the truth and ensure that justice prevails over impunity,” the statement from Vente Venezuela’s Human Rights Committee said.
Vente Venezuela is also Nobel Peace prize winner Maria Corina Machado’s political party. Machado reposted the statement shortly after it’s release. -ABC News' Othon Leyva
Jan 06, 2026, 11:22 AM EST
'Our president is legitimate,' Colombian foreign minister says
Colombia’s Foreign Minister Rosa Villavicencio said she will be meeting with John McNamara, the U.S. Chargé d’Affaires in Colombia, to directly address the threats and allegations made against the Colombian President Gustavo Petro by U.S. President Donald Trump this week.
“Our president is the democratically elected president. The president is legitimate, and the leader of the security forces of the state,” Villavicencio said.
Colombia will support a resolution in the United Nations Security Council in the coming days that condemns the actions of the Trump administration in Venezuela, Villavicencio said.
The Colombian Foreign Minister pledged to utilize and coordinate through the CELAC, the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States which is a regional bloc of Latin American and Caribbean states, to condemn the U.S. actions in Venezuela.
Villavicencio said the Colombian Embassy maintains direct communication with the State Department regarding the situation in Venezuela. Villavicencio maintains that they continue to have dialogue with the U.S.
-ABC News' Ismario Rodriguez Perez and Othon Leyva
