Maduro Wishes US Agents ‘Happy New Year’ as He Is Escorted to New York Jail

Nicolás Maduro, Venezuela’s deposed president, was flown to the United States and taken into custody Saturday night after being captured during a dramatic pre-dawn operation in Caracas.

US authorities released images showing Nicolás Maduro smiling, raising his thumbs and wishing officers “good night” and a “Happy New Year” as he was escorted by dozens of federal agents. He was shackled and dressed in a blue hoodie and black cap during his transfer to a high-security detention facility in New York.

Maduro was captured alongside his wife, Cilia Flores, after US special forces stormed what officials described as a heavily guarded presidential compound.

The operation followed US military strikes on multiple installations in and around the Venezuelan capital.

Within hours of the raid, federal prosecutors in New York unsealed indictments charging Maduro and Flores with narco-terrorism conspiracy and weapons-related offences, including possession of machine guns. US officials said the arrests were the culmination of a months-long campaign targeting alleged drug trafficking networks linked to the Venezuelan leadership.

Maduro was transported to New York aboard a US military aircraft that stopped at Guantánamo Bay before landing at Stewart Air National Guard Base late Saturday afternoon. Video released by authorities showed him being led across the tarmac by a large security detail before being transferred to a Brooklyn detention facility.

The prison, known for housing high-profile detainees, has previously faced scrutiny over conditions and inmate treatment.

International reaction was swift. China, a key economic ally of Venezuela, condemned the operation and demanded Maduro’s immediate release, calling the arrest a violation of international law.

US President Donald Trump defended the action, saying Washington would temporarily “run” Venezuela and oversee its vast oil resources until a “safe, proper and judicious transition” of power could be arranged. Trump observed the operation from his Mar-a-Lago residence alongside senior officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

The capture followed months of escalating pressure on Caracas, including the deployment of US naval assets to the region and an increase in the bounty for Maduro’s arrest to US$50 million. Officials said the strikes that preceded the raid were intended to neutralise threats to the arrest team.