Trump confirms capture: Maduro and wife transferred to New York

US President Donald Trump announced that Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro was captured by "Delta Force" operatives and flown to New York; Caracas demands proof of life.

Jan 03, 2026 - 18:19

WISE NEWS PRESS / ANKARA, TURKEY — JAN. 3, 2026

US President Donald Trump has announced that Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, have been "captured" in a US military operation and transferred to New York. The announcement follows reports of heavy air strikes and helicopter activity over the Venezuelan capital, Caracas.

The Trump administration, which had placed a $50 million bounty on Maduro's head on charges of "narcoterrorism," declared the mission a success. However, the Venezuelan government has demanded immediate "proof of life" from Washington.

'Delta Force' operation details

According to reports in US media, the extraction operation was conducted by Delta Force, the US Army's elite counter-terrorism unit. This is the same unit credited with the 2019 raid that killed ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. Reports indicate that US forces suffered no casualties during the Caracas raid.

President Trump confirmed that the couple is now on US soil. The transfer of a sitting head of state to face criminal charges in another country marks an unprecedented escalation in the decade-long crisis between the two nations.

Venezuela demands answers

In Caracas, confusion reigns. Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez told local media that she is unaware of the current location of the President and First Lady. Rodriguez demanded that the US government provide immediate evidence that Maduro is still alive.

Stating that she has assumed presidential powers in accordance with the constitution, Rodriguez condemned the operation. "This attack by the United States will not go unanswered," she said, adding that US strikes overnight had targeted civilian areas alongside military infrastructure.

Labeled a 'gang leader'

The US government has long refused to recognize Maduro as the legitimate president of Venezuela, instead categorizing him as the leader of a drug trafficking organization. The US Department of Justice had previously unsealed indictments charging Maduro and his inner circle with narcoterrorism, corruption, and drug trafficking. His transfer to New York suggests an imminent high-profile trial in the US federal court system.