Venezuela’s Maduro in US detention in New York, expected to appear in court Monday

NEW YORK – 4 January 2026: Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro is being held at a detention facility in New York on Sunday, following a US operation that led to his capture alongside his wife and their removal from Venezuela hours earlier.

Maduro is expected to appear before a federal court in Manhattan on Monday for an initial hearing on charges including narco-terrorism conspiracy, Reuters reported, citing a Justice Department official.

His wife faces similar charges.

They have been also charged with conspiracy to import cocaine as well as possession of destructive devices and machine guns.

In a press conference following the capture, US President Donald Trump accused Maduro of being “the kingpin of a vast criminal network responsible for trafficking colossal amounts of deadly and illicit drugs into the United States.”

US Attorney General Pam Bondi stated that Maduro and his wife “will soon face the full wrath of American justice.”

Photographs released by US authorities showed Maduro in custody, with his hands restrained and his eyes covered, before he was later seen being escorted through a corridor inside the headquarters of the US Drug Enforcement Administration.

In one recording circulated by officials, Maduro could be heard offering a brief New Year’s greeting as he was led through the building.