According to reports, following a U.S. military operation in Caracas, Nicolás Maduro was taken into custody and flown to the United States, landing at Stewart International Airport in New York. Security at the airport and nearby Stewart Air National Guard Base was extremely tight.
U.S. media reported that the aircraft transporting Maduro was owned and registered by the U.S. Department of Justice. Upon arrival, personnel wearing jackets of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration were present on the tarmac, highlighting the sensitivity of the operation.
U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi announced that federal indictments have been filed against Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, in the Southern District of New York.
According to the Attorney General, Maduro faces serious charges including narco-terrorism conspiracy, planning the import of cocaine into the United States, possession of machine guns and destructive devices, and conspiracy to use weapons against the U.S.
In a statement posted on social media platform X, Bondi said that Nicolás Maduro will face full American justice in U.S. courts.
Sources said that after arriving at Stewart International Airport, located about 60 miles from New York City in Orange County, Maduro was immediately transferred from a military facility to an undisclosed location.
Reports indicate that formal indictments on drug trafficking and weapons charges may be presented against Maduro in a federal court in Manhattan next week.
Meanwhile, Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado has demanded that the opposition candidate immediately assume power following Maduro’s arrest.
Celebrations have been reported among Venezuelan expatriates in South Florida, while tension and uncertainty prevail in Caracas.
Earlier, U.S. President Donald Trump stated that the U.S. military carried out a large-scale operation in Venezuela, during which President Nicolás Maduro and his wife were detained and transferred to the United States for legal proceedings.
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