WASHINGTON (AP) — Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife landed at Stewart International Airport in New Windsor, New York, on Saturday afternoon. They have been charged with narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy and weapons offenses.
President Donald Trump said Saturday that U.S. forces captured Maduro in a dramatic overnight military operation and flew him out of the country, marking an extraordinary escalation in U.S. pressure on the oil-rich South American nation, according to AP News.
Speaking during a delayed White House press conference alongside top national security officials, Trump described the operation as an unprecedented show of American military power and said the United States would “run” Venezuela temporarily until a transition of power occurs. He provided no evidence that U.S. forces control territory inside the country.
According to AP News, the Venezuelan government denounced the action as an “imperialist attack,” while security forces appeared to retain control of key sites.
Attorney General Pam Bondi said Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were indicted in New York and would face U.S. charges, accusing them of ties to international drug trafficking. U.S. officials said the action followed months of military pressure, including strikes on vessels alleged to be involved in narcotics smuggling.