Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, awoke early Saturday morning to U.S. special forces capturing them from their capital city compound, and by the end of the day they were in federal custody in New York.
Over the span of a few hours on Saturday, U.S. strikes targeted air defenses and other sites in Caracas and three other Venezuelan states, whisking away both Maduro and Flores and transporting them thousands of miles over sea and air to the United States.
The operation marked a dramatic escalation of President Donald Trump‘s stance toward Venezuela after months of rising tensions, threats and oil tanker seizures.
Maduro and his wife have been indicted on federal drug and weapons charges, and are expected to attend an arraignment in New York City as early as Monday, according to multiple media reports.
As global reverberations continue to be felt, many questions remain unanswered, including those regarding the future of U.S.-Venezuela relations and how the South American nation will move forward.
See reactions after US explosions in Venezuela, Maduro capture
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Maduro’s journey to NY: Ships, planes and helicopters
Maduro and Flores landed in Brooklyn before heading to the Metropolitan Detention Center the evening of Jan. 3.
By then, they had been on multiple types of aircraft, plus a massive warship, in a journey spanning at least three nations and two time zones.
After the couple was taken from their Caracas home, they were loaded onto a helicopter, where the raid force had to fight its way out of Venezuelan airspace, according to Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Gen. Dan “Razin” Caine.
More: ‘A lot of gunfire’: Here’s how the US raid to capture Maduro unfolded
They were then loaded onto the USS Iwo Jima, a U.S. Navy amphibious assault ship, and sailed across the Caribbean Sea to the U.S military base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
Next, they were transferred to a plane to fly the final stretch to New York, landing shortly before sunset Eastern time at Stewart Air National Guard Base about 50 miles north of Manhattan. Once embarked, they were placed in helicopters and flown to Westside Heliport in Manhattan, then finally on to the Brooklyn detention facility.
A ‘soul full of concern’
Pope Leo said on Sunday he was following developments in Venezuela after the United States’ toppling of Maduro a day earlier with a “soul full of concern.”
Leo, the first U.S. pope, called for Venezuela to remain an independent country and respect of human rights.
− Reuters
Maduro walked down hallway in new footage
In the first clear video of the Venezuelan leader since he arrived on U.S. soil Saturday evening, Maduro was seen being walked down a hallway by federal agents.
The 12-second clip was posted to X by Fox News Contributor Paul Mauro and shared by the White House. In the video, Maduro is seen clutching a bottle of water and dressed in black pants, a black hoodie and hat.
His hands appear to be restrained, while three agents walk him down a hallway with a carpet that reads “DEA.” He is overheard saying, “goodnight” and “happy New Year” before walking out of the video frame.
Venezuela Supreme Court orders VP become interim president
The Constitutional Chamber of Venezuela’s Supreme Court ordered on Saturday that Vice President Delcy Rodríguez assume the role of acting president of the country.
The court ruling said that Rodríguez would assume “the office of President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, in order to guarantee administrative continuity and the comprehensive defense of the Nation.”
The ruling added that the court will debate the matter in order to “determine the applicable legal framework to guarantee the continuity of the State, the administration of government, and the defense of sovereignty in the face of the forced absence of the President of the Republic.”
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Why did we strike Venezuela, seize Nicolás Maduro? Live updates