Maduro pleads not guilty to all charges
Nicolás Maduro has entered a “not guilty” plea to the four charges brought by federal prosecutors.
Ariana Baio5 January 2026 17:15
Maduro enters courtroom with ankle shackles
Nicolás Maduro and Cilia Flores have entered the courtroom at Daniel Patrick Moynihan in downtown Manhattan, according to reporters with access to technology in the courthouse.
Maduro entered wearing ankle shackles.
Maduro and Flores will be represented by Barry Pollack and Mark Donnelly going forward.
Ariana Baio5 January 2026 17:03
What are the charges against Maduro?
Maduro and Flores are facing four federal charges related to drug trafficking and weapons offenses. Maduro has previously faced similar charges, but the charges are new for Flores.
Count one: Narco-terrorism conspiracy
Prosecutors say Maduro and two co-defendants did or intended to possess and distribute five kilograms containing detectable cocaine to an organization that engaged in terrorism. Those organizations include the Sinaloa Cartel, Tren de Aragua, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and others.
Count two: Cocaine importation conspiracy
Maduro, Flores and co-defendants are accused of manufacturing, possessing and intending to distribute the controlled substance into the U.S. and into waters within 12 miles of the U.S. coast.
Count three: Possession of machine guns and destructive devices
Maduro, Flores and others are accused of possessing and carrying machine guns and/or other destructive devices in relation to drug trafficking crimes.
Count four: Conspiracy to possess machine guns and destructive devices
Ariana Baio5 January 2026 17:01
Maduro’s son accuses US of abducting his father
Nicolás Maduro Guerra, the son of deposed Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, accused the United States of “kidnapping” his father and stepmother in a military operation that took place over the weekend.
Speaking from the floor of Venezuela’s National Assembly, Nicolás Maduro Guerra said the U.S. was trampling international law by extraditing his father and stepmother for drug-trafficking and weapons charges.
“If we normalize the kidnapping of a head of state, no country is safe,” Nicolás Maduro Guerra, a member of the national assembly, said in a translated speech.
“I assure you, they are great people, and they promoted the revolutionary ideas and they will never give up,” he added.
Nicolás Maduro Guerra, 35, was also charged alongside his father and stepmother in drug-trafficking and weapons charges, according to the indictment. Prosecutors said he is sometimes referred to as “Nicolasito” or “The Prince.”
Ariana Baio5 January 2026 16:54
Watch: Russia calls on US to ‘immediately release’ Venezuela’s Maduro at UN Security CouncilRussia calls on US to ‘immediately release’ Venezuela’s Maduro at UN Security Council
Ariana Baio5 January 2026 16:30
How the arrest of Nicolás Maduro transpired
For months, the U.S. had been preparing to capture Venezuelan leader Nicolàs Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, in what is now known as “Operation Absolute Resolve.”
– Friday evening, Trump gave the green light for the operation. Hours later, dozens of U.S. forces entered Venezuela’s airspace and launched weapons to disable the country’s air defense system. Facing return fire, U.S. troops responded with “overwhelming force and self-defense.”
– Around 1 a.m. ET (6 a.m. GMT) Saturday, helicopters landed at Maduro’s compound in Caracas, Venezuela, where U.S. forces captured Maduro and Flores.
– Saturday evening, Maduro and Flores landed in New York and were taken to the Metropolitan Detention Center.
– Monday, at 12 p.m. ET (5 p.m. GMT), Maduro and Flores will appear before a judge and enter a not guilty or guilty plea.
Trump has insisted the operation is part of an effort to combat drug trafficking in the U.S. and not an effort to force regime change in Venezuela.
Ariana Baio5 January 2026 16:15
Oil company shares rise after US actions in Venezuela
Shares of major U.S. oil companies rose Monday morning after the U.S. captured the deposed Venezuelan leader Nicolàs Maduro and Trump announced he would take control of Venezuela’s oil industry
Just an hour after the U.S. stock market opened, Exxon Mobil Corp shares were up by .35 percent, Chevron Corp was up 3.65 percent and ConocoPhillips shares rose by 1 percent.
But experts at GasBuddy do not expect the recent action in Venezuela to impact U.S. gas prices significantly.
“Even under the most optimistic outcomes, it could take years of positive developments for additional supply to meaningfully move the needle, and the impact on U.S. gasoline prices may ultimately be limited,” Patrick De Haan, the lead petroleum analyst at GasBuddy, said.
Ariana Baio5 January 2026 15:50
UN Security council holding emergency meeting on US actions in Venezuela
The United Nations Security Council is holding an emergency meeting this morning to discuss the U.S. actions around and in Venezuela after capturing the deposed leader, Nicolás Maduro, and his wife over the weekend.
Ariana Baio5 January 2026 15:30
Mexican president rejects US intervention in Venezuela and other countries
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum reiterated her opposition to the United States intervening in Venezuela’s “internal matters” during her daily press conference Monday.
“We categorically reject intervention in the internal matters of other countries,” Sheinbaum began.
“The history of Latin America is clear and compelling. Intervention has never brought democracy,” she added.
Speaking directly about Mexico, Sheinbaum reminded people that her country is “a free and sovereign country” that is willing to cooperate but not subordinate to others.
Her comment was in reference to Trump’s prior accusations that Mexico has not done enough to combat drug trafficking. Trump has repeatedly offered to deploy U.S. military personnel to Mexico to assist in combating drug trafficking organizations but Sheinbaum has declined his offer.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum reiterated her opposition to the U.S. capturing Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro (Reuters)
Ariana Baio5 January 2026 15:20
New survey finds Americans are largely split on the US capturing Maduro
In a text message survey of 1,000 Americans, conducted by the Washington Post, approximately 40 percent said they approve of the U.S. capturing deposed Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, while 42 percent said they disapprove.
Republican voters were much more likely to approve of the operation than Democrats or independent voters.
More than half of the survey respondents, 63 percent, said Trump should have sought congressional approval before conducting the military operation. Slightly less than half, 45 percent, said they oppose the U.S. taking over Venezuela and choosing a new leader.
The preliminary survey was conducted Saturday and Sunday, just hours after the military operation took place, meaning those surveyed may not have had a chance to digest the full scope of information before responding.
Ariana Baio5 January 2026 15:00