Captured Venezuelan leader Maduro breaks silence as he's led to US jail in handcuffs
We're only a few days into 2026, and Donald Trump has perhaps already outdone himself when it comes to international relations.
The US president confirmed yesterday (3 January) that the US military had launched strikes on the Venezuelan capital of Caracas, even cutting the power in the city before storming into the home of President Nicolás Maduro.
As the 63-year-old tried to flee into his safe room, he was captured by the US forces and has since been extradited to the States.
Trump said: "He made it to the door. He was unable to close it. He got bum rushed so fast that he didn’t get into that [room]."
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He and his wife, Cilia Flores, have since been charged with drug and weapons offences, with US Attorney General Pam Bondi vowing that they would 'soon face the full wrath of American justice on American soil in American courts'.
In response to the attacks, an official statement from the Venezuelan government said: "Venezuela rejects, repudiates, and denounces before the international community the extremely serious military aggression perpetrated by the current Government of the United States of America against Venezuelan territory."
Trump has initially suggested that the US would 'run' Venezuela, with the country's vice-president, Delcy Rodriguez, expected to govern under American direction.
However, she has since reaffirmed her commitment to Maduro and called for the leader to be freed, describing Trump's decision as an 'unprecedented act of aggression'.
While Trump took to Truth Social to share the first image of Maduro on board the USS Iwo Jima, another video has since captured the former union leader being led down a hallway by officers while in handcuffs.
It was there that he broke his silence for the first time since the capture, as he wished onlookers a ‘good night’ and ‘happy new year’ as he entered the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn.
Maduro has been charged with a huge number of offences, including: Narco-Terrorism Conspiracy, Cocaine Importation Conspiracy, Possession of Machine guns and Destructive Devices, and Conspiracy to Possess Machine guns and Destructive Devices against the United States, as listed by US Attorney General Pam Bondi.
Trump's actions have been met with a mixed reaction across the world, with Keir Starmer suggesting that while it's always important to uphold international law, the UK has ‘long supported a transition of power in Venezuela’ and regards Maduro as an ‘illegitimate president’.
He added: "I reiterated my support for international law this morning.
"The UK government will discuss the evolving situation with US counterparts in the days ahead as we seek a safe and peaceful transition to a legitimate government that reflects the will of the Venezuelan people."
However, Brazilian president Lula Inacio Lula da Silva, suggested that the US operation had crossed ‘an unacceptable line’.
He added: "Attacking countries in flagrant violation of international law is the first step toward a world of violence, chaos, and instability, where the law of the strongest prevails over multilateralism."
Topics: Donald Trump, World News
James Moorhouse