Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro was captured by U.S. forces in a military operation and is being taken to the United States to face criminal charges, according to U.S. officials. The operation has triggered fresh legal debate over the use of force, while President Donald Trump and senior officials have also spoken about the United States potentially “run[ning]” Venezuela, adding to questions about Washington’s intentions.
The Maduro capture has also set off a fast-moving political and diplomatic scramble, including an emergency meeting at the United Nations Security Council and split reactions from governments overseas. Inside Venezuela, the country’s Supreme Court named Delcy Rodríguez acting president in the immediate aftermath, while prominent opposition figures and U.S. officials described sharply different expectations for what comes next.
What officials say happened
U.S. forces seized Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, in an early Saturday operation that the Reuters explainer describes as a military action that culminated a months-long pressure campaign by the Trump administration. U.S. officials said Maduro was on a warship headed for New York to face criminal charges.
U.S. authorities said the Justice Department sought military assistance to apprehend Maduro after he was indicted by a New York grand jury, alongside Flores and several others named in the case. The charges cited in the Reuters explainer involve crimes related to terrorism, drugs, and weapons.
CFR reported that U.S. forces seized Maduro and his wife in an early Saturday raid and that Trump announced the United States would “run” Venezuela. CFR also reported that Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Trump meant Washington would use a continued oil quarantine as leverage to direct policy in Venezuela.
Legal debate over the raid
The Reuters explainer said legal experts viewed the administration’s public messaging as complicating the legal picture, because officials described the action as a law enforcement mission while Trump also spoke about “run[ning]” the country for some period. A constitutional law professor quoted in the explainer argued that framing the operation as law enforcement while also talking about running the country did not fit together.
Under U.S. law, the explainer notes that Congress has the power to declare war, while the president serves as commander-in-chief, and presidents from both parties have cited limited military actions as permissible when tied to national interests. The explainer also said Trump’s Chief of Staff Susie Wiles told Vanity Fair in an interview published late last year that congressional approval would be needed if Trump authorized “some activity on land” in Venezuela.
On the international law side, the Reuters explainer said the use of force is generally prohibited except in narrow cases such as U.N. Security Council authorization or self-defense. It also said legal experts argued that drug trafficking and gang violence are criminal matters and do not meet the international standard for armed conflict that would justify a military response.
Rubio said Congress was not notified before the operation, according to the Reuters explainer. CFR likewise reported that Rubio said Maduro’s seizure did not require prior notification to Congress because it was a law enforcement operation.
Venezuela’s political fallout
CFR reported that U.S. bombings and the raid in Caracas “reportedly killed at least forty people,” including “thirty-two” described as Cuban security personnel. CFR also said Venezuela’s Supreme Court named Delcy Rodríguez—identified as Maduro’s former vice president—as acting president on Saturday.
CFR reported that Rodríguez issued a statement denouncing U.S. “military aggression,” while Trump told The Atlantic she would “pay a very big price” if she did not cooperate with the United States. CFR also reported that Rodríguez changed her tone the next day.
On the opposition side, CFR reported that Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado celebrated Maduro’s capture and called for 2024 opposition presidential candidate Edmundo González to assume power. CFR also reported Rubio said “we all wish” for a democratic transition, but he downplayed expectations for a near-term shift and said Washington’s immediate focus was stopping drug trafficking and preventing Venezuela’s oil industry from enriching U.S. adversaries.
International reaction and what’s next
CFR reported that Maduro’s seizure “shocked governments across the world” and that the U.N. Security Council is holding an emergency meeting on the matter. CFR also reported European governments were split, saying Spain joined multiple Latin American countries in condemning the operation and calling it a violation of international law, while France and Italy focused on calls for democratic transition.
CFR reported that China, described as the top buyer of Venezuelan oil, called for Maduro’s release, and that Russia also called for his release. CFR additionally reported that some leaders voiced concern after Trump mentioned Greenland as among potential next targets of U.S. military force.
CFR reported that Rubio’s comments about the raid caused consternation among some U.S. lawmakers, who were due to be briefed by U.S. officials. CFR also reported Maduro was due to appear in U.S. court on drug trafficking and corruption charges, raising further questions about Venezuela’s future after the capture.
