On January 3, 2026, Nicolás Maduro, the president of Venezuela, and his wife, Cilia Flores, were captured by U.S. special forces and were flown to New York. Maduro is facing federal charges of narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy, conspiracy to acquire machine guns and destructive devices, and possession of machine guns and destructive devices.

        The capture, which was titled “Operation Absolute Resolve,” began around two a.m., with multiple explosions occurring in Caracas, near Maduro’s home. Troops arrived at his location shortly after, and by four in the morning, Maduro and his wife were captured.

        Following this, the U.S. now has significant control over Venezuela and their oil supply, with Maduro’s vice president, Delcy Rodríguez, rising to take the role. Despite U.S. intervention, Maduro’s government and administration is still largely in place. Many Venezuelans have expressed their concern about this; even if Maduro’s gone, they feel uneasy about Rodríguez as their new leader.

        People all around the world have expressed their opinions about Maduro’s capture. Many Venezuelans considered him to be a dictator, and have even expressed relief about him being gone. Others, however, fear what this sudden interference with international relations could mean for other situations, and question whether or not this was the right move.

        From this point forward, the U.S. will be more involved in Venezuela while Maduro and his wife face charges in New York. People around the world can only wonder what will happen in the weeks to come, and what the outcomes could mean for international relations in the future.