NEW YORK, USA — New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said on Saturday that he telephoned President Donald Trump to oppose the United States operation that led to the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores.
“I called the president and spoke with him directly to register my opposition to this act, and to make clear that it was an opposition based on being opposed to a pursuit of regime change, to the violation of federal and international law,” Mamdani told reporters during a news briefing in Brooklyn.
The comments were made on Saturday, January 3, 2026.
Mamdani said the call was direct and brief. “I registered my opposition. I made it clear, and we left it at that,” he said.
Credit | Anna Moneymaker/Getty; Donald J. Trump/truthsocial
Mayor Describes Action as a War Crime
Earlier on Saturday, Mamdani said he believed the operation to capture Maduro and Flores constituted a war crime and violated federal and international law.
Maduro is expected to be held in federal custody in New York City, where he faces federal charges, according to the information provided at the briefing.
City Preparations Following the Capture
Mamdani, who is three days into his term as mayor, said he had been briefed by his first deputy mayor and New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch after the capture.
He did not give additional details about any arrangements surrounding Maduro’s anticipated arrival but said his administration was working to minimise disruption for residents.
He said he had shared his views directly with Trump and reiterated that his objection centred on the nature of the operation and its aims.
A request for comment was sent to the White House.
