Plane with Maduro arrives in the US after capture by the Trump administration

Plane with Maduro arrives in the USA after capture in Venezuela, says American press The president of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, arrived in New York at around 6:30 pm this Saturday (3), after being captured by United States authorities. The arrest took place during the early hours of the morning in Caracas, according to the American government. 🔴LIVE: Follow the latest news in real time ✅ Follow the g1 international news channel on WhatsApp Earlier, in a press conference, President Donald Trump said he was evaluating the next steps for the South American country. He also stated that the US intends to lead the country through a “group” that is being formed until a transition of power, without detailing deadlines or how this arrangement would work. Also this Saturday, US Attorney General Pam Bondi announced that Maduro will be tried by American justice in a New York court. According to Bondi, the Venezuelan leader and the first lady, Cilia Flores — also detained by American authorities — were formally accused of the following crimes: Conspiracy for narcoterrorism; Conspiracy to import cocaine; Possession of machine guns and explosive devices; Conspiracy to possess machine guns. Plane with Maduro arrives in the USA. Reuters ‘Live’ transmission of the capture In the interview, Trump also said that he watched the capture of Nicolás Maduro live, broadcast by agents who participated in the mission in Caracas. “It was like watching a television program,” he said. The American president also declared that the US attack on Venezuela was scheduled to take place four days ago, but was postponed due to weather conditions. He added that he spoke to Maduro a week ago, when the Venezuelan allegedly tried to negotiate a peaceful exit from power. “They wanted to negotiate in the end, but I didn’t want to,” he said in the interview. Transport by ship USS Iwo Jima amphibious ship, which Trump says transported Maduro and his wife after capture, sailing in the Caribbean Sea on August 28, 2025. Logan Goins/United States Navy According to Trump, Nicolás Maduro and his wife were captured in Caracas by agents participating in the US attack on Venezuela. Both were then taken by a US Armed Forces helicopter to Iwo Jima, one of the US Navy warships that had been stationed in the Caribbean Sea since the end of last year. ➡️ One of the main ships in the US Navy fleet, Iwo Jima is a Wasp-class amphibious assault ship, equipped to operate short takeoff and vertical landing aircraft (such as the F-35B), in addition to carrying out amphibious landing operations with troops and vehicles. The vessel also has great capacity to project air and land power in combined operations, with helicopters, planes and marines on board. Attack on Venezuela After months of speculation and maritime operations near the coast of Venezuela, the United States attacked several points in Caracas this Saturday (3) and captured Nicolás Maduro and his wife. Earlier, Trump himself announced the attack on his social media: “The United States of America successfully carried out a large-scale attack against Venezuela and its leader, President Nicolás Maduro, captured with his wife, and removed from the country by air.” According to Trump, the action was carried out in conjunction with American security forces. The president did not say where Maduro and his wife were taken. The vice president of Venezuela, Delcy Rodriguez, says she does not know where Maduro is and demanded proof of life from the American government. A series of explosions hit Caracas, the capital of Venezuela, in the early hours of Saturday. According to the Associated Press, at least seven explosions were heard in Caracas within an interval of about 30 minutes. Residents of different neighborhoods reported tremors, aircraft noise and rushing in the streets. Part of the city was left without electricity, especially in the vicinity of the La Carlota air base, in the south of the capital. Videos circulating on social media show columns of smoke rising from military installations and aircraft flying over Caracas at low altitude. READ ALSO Missile launchers, land and submarine landing ships: the US military arsenal in Venezuela; INFOGRAPHIC INFOGRAPHIC: how the US surrounded Venezuela in an operation that threatens Maduro Venezuela declares emergency after US attack ‘Imperialist aggression’ Trump and Maduro AP Photo/Evan Vucci; Reuters/Leonardo Fernandez Shortly after the start of the offensive, the Venezuelan government published a statement stating that the country was under attack. Caracas said the Venezuelan president called on social and political forces to activate mobilization plans. “President Nicolás Maduro signed and ordered the implementation of the decree that declares the state of External Commotion throughout the national territory, to protect the rights of the population, the full functioning of republican institutions and immediately move to armed struggle”, says the text. “The country must activate itself to defeat this imperialist aggression.” The Venezuelan government also stated that the objective of the American operation would be to seize the country’s strategic resources, mainly oil and minerals. In the statement, Caracas said that the US is trying to impose a “colonial war” and force a “regime change”. Finally, Venezuela declared that it reserves the right to exercise self-defense and called on governments in Latin America and the Caribbean to mobilize in solidarity with the country. Maduro in the crosshairs Nicolás Maduro speaks during a demonstration in Venezuela Stringer/AFP ➡️ The pressure on the Venezuelan government began in August, when the US raised the reward to US$50 million for information leading to the arrest of Nicolás Maduro. At the time, the North American government reinforced its military presence in the Caribbean Sea. Initially, the White House stated that the military mobilization was aimed at combating international drug trafficking. Over time, American officials began to say, anonymously, that the ultimate objective would be to overthrow the Maduro government. Trump and the Venezuelan president even spoke by phone in November. However, according to the American press, the contacts ended without progress, as Maduro had shown resistance to leaving power. In the same month, the US classified the Cartel de los Soles as a terrorist organization. The American government accuses Maduro of leading the group. Still in November, the international press reported that the US was about to begin a new phase of operations related to Venezuela. Furthermore, according to The New York Times, the United States is interested in taking control of Venezuelan oil reserves, considered the largest in the world. In recent weeks, the American military has seized oil tankers from Venezuela. Trump also ordered a blockade of vessels targeted by sanctions and accused Maduro of stealing from the US. VIDEOS: most watched on g1

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