U.S. commandos seize Nicolás Maduro and bring him to New York; Trump says U.S. will “run” Venezuela

U.S. commandos seized Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in a pre-dawn raid in Caracas and transported him to New York City to face federal drug-trafficking charges, the Trump administration said. President Trump declared the United States intended to "run" Venezuela for an unspecified period and to reclaim American oil interests.

The operation followed a monthslong U.S. campaign that amassed troops, aircraft and warships in the Caribbean and included strikes on boats that experts said killed at least 115 people in what they described as extrajudicial killings. Venezuelan officials said at least 40 people, including civilians and soldiers, were killed in the Caracas raid; U.S.

officials said no American service members were killed, though a helicopter was hit and about half a dozen U.S. soldiers were injured. A federal indictment unsealed in New York charged Mr. Maduro, his wife Cilia Flores and others with counts including narco-terrorism and conspiracy to import cocaine; a law enforcement official said Mr.

Maduro was being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn and was expected to appear in Manhattan federal court soon. Vice President Delcy Rodríguez was sworn in as interim leader at a secret ceremony in Caracas, denounced the U.S. raid and insisted Mr. Maduro remained the country's rightful leader.

Key Topics

Politics, Nicolás Maduro, Venezuela, Donald Trump, Delcy Rodríguez, Cilia Flores