Maduro, wife being taken to New York: Trump
He also said the operation to capture Maduro had been planned earlier, but was delayed due to weather conditions
Highlights
- Trump says Maduro and his wife were captured by US forces and taken to New York
- Maduro faces charges including narco-terrorism and drug trafficking
- Trump says no US troops were killed in the operation
- The US president says Washington will now play a stronger role in Venezuela's oil sector
- More details are expected at an upcoming press conference on Sunday
US President Donald Trump has claimed that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, are being taken to New York after being captured by US forces.
Speaking in an interview with Fox News, Trump said Maduro and Flores have been indicted in New York and are being transported to the state by helicopter and ship. He alleged that the Venezuelan leader was responsible for the deaths of many people, including American citizens.
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Trump said the operation to capture Maduro had been planned earlier but was delayed due to weather conditions. "The weather has to be perfect," he said, adding that the mission was launched once conditions improved, reports BBC.
Describing the raid, Trump said Maduro was captured from a location "more like a fortress than a house," with heavy steel fortifications. He claimed no US soldiers were killed in the operation, though a few were injured and are now in stable condition.
The US president also said he had spoken with Maduro about a week before the operation, urging him to surrender. When that did not happen, Trump said the US carried out what he described as a "surgical and powerful" action.
Trump added that the United States would now be "strongly involved" in Venezuela's oil sector. He said Maduro's capture sent a message that the US would no longer allow itself to be "pushed around," particularly over drug trafficking.
Asked about the political future of Venezuela, Trump said Washington would consider its position regarding opposition leader Maria Corina Machado. He also questioned the legitimacy of Maduro's election.
US Vice President later said in a post on X that the operation showed Trump's resolve, praising US special forces and reiterating claims about drug trafficking and oil theft.
Earlier, US Attorney General Pam Bondi who says that Maduro and his wife have been indicted in the Southern District of New York.
Maduro, she says, has been charged with "Narco-Terrorism Conspiracy, Cocaine Importation Conspiracy, Possession of Machineguns and Destructive Devices, and Conspiracy to Possess Machineguns and Destructive Devices against the United States".
"They will soon face the full wrath of American justice on American soil in American courts," Bondi adds, but does not say what his wife has been charged with.
"A huge thank you to our brave military who conducted the incredible and highly successful mission to capture these two alleged international narco traffickers," she adds.
Earlier on Saturday, US President Donald Trump said the United States has carried out "large scale strikes" against Venezuela and claimed that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife have been captured and flown out of the country.
In a statement posted on his Truth Social platform, Trump said the operation was conducted in coordination with US law enforcement agencies and that further details would be announced at a press conference scheduled later in the day at his Mar-a-Lago residence.
