NEW YORK – US President Donald Trump has said that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, will be taken to New York to face criminal charges, following what he claims was their capture during a US military operation.
Speaking in an interview with Fox News, Trump said the Venezuelan leader and First Lady were removed from the country by US forces and would be transferred first to a naval vessel before being flown to the United States.
“They’ll be heading to New York. You know, they were indicted in New York,” Trump said. “They will be taken to a ship first and then they will be on a ship. The helicopters took them out, and they went by helicopter in a nice flight. I’m sure they loved it.”
Trump added that Maduro had been living in a heavily fortified residence, describing it as “more like a fortress than a house”, complete with steel doors and high-level security.
US authorities have previously accused Maduro and senior members of his government of drug trafficking, corruption and narco-terrorism, charges that were unsealed in federal courts in New York during Trump’s earlier presidency. Maduro has consistently rejected the allegations, calling them politically motivated and part of a broader campaign to undermine Venezuela’s sovereignty.
As of publication, neither the US Department of Justice nor the White House has issued an official statement confirming Trump’s remarks or detailing the legal process under which Maduro and his wife would be transferred to New York. Venezuelan authorities have also not publicly confirmed the capture or removal of the president.
The comments have intensified global concern following reports of explosions and military strikes in Caracas, which Venezuela’s government has described as an act of US military aggression. Diplomats at the United Nations in New York said the claims, if confirmed, would represent an unprecedented escalation in US–Venezuela relations.
Legal experts cautioned that forcibly transferring a sitting head of state to the United States could raise serious questions under international law, particularly regarding sovereignty and due process.
Meanwhile, Washington has urged US citizens not to travel to Venezuela, and several countries have called for restraint and clarification amid fears of wider regional instability.
With conflicting reports emerging and no independent verification of Maduro’s status, uncertainty continues to surround both the alleged capture and the next steps in what could become one of the most consequential international legal cases in recent history.
