Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, captured by US Delta Force commandos, has landed in New York to face trial on narco-terrorism charges. He and his wife, Cilia Flores, were transported to downtown Manhattan under tight security after arriving at Stewart Air National Guard Base. The couple is expected to be detained at Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Correctional Center before their court appearance.
Maduro, who had a $50 million bounty on his head, is set to have his initial hearing on Monday. The operation to seize him, named Absolute Resolve, involved more than 150 aircraft and saw him taken from a military base to a Navy ship. The charges against Maduro and Flores include narco-terrorism, cocaine import conspiracy, and weapons possession.
President Donald Trump has hinted at the trial possibly moving to Miami, known for its large Venezuelan exile population. The capture of Maduro has been celebrated, with Trump framing it as an anti-drug effort. Meanwhile, Maduro’s Vice President Delcy Rodríguez has denounced the US for aggression, asserting Maduro’s presidency.
