Captured Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro arrives in New York as future of country remains unclear

Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro was flown to New York after a US military operation extracted him and his wife, Cilia Flores, from a military base in Caracas. Maduro was taken to the Metropolitan Detention Centre and now awaits trial on narco-terrorism charges. The operation, dubbed “Absolute Resolve,” followed months of planning and a pressure campaign by the Trump administration; President Donald Trump said the US would “run” Venezuela until a “safe” transition and would seek control of its oil reserves. Caracas denounced the move as “imperialist” and demanded his release. Venezuela’s high court ordered Vice President Delcy Rodríguez—next in the line of succession—to serve as interim president, while EU and UN figures urged restraint and respect for international law.