NEWBURGH, USA — Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro arrived in the United States on Saturday following his capture in a United States military operation, and is expected to face federal charges in New York, according to U.S. officials.
Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, landed at Stewart Air Force Base in Newburgh, New York, on Saturday, January 3, 2026, after being flown from Venezuela.
He has been charged with narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy, and weapons offences.
Video shot from an NBC News helicopter appeared to show Maduro disembarking from a jet at about 5:25 p.m., wearing a grey sweatshirt and shackles as he walked down the aircraft stairs surrounded by federal agents.
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He was escorted into a hangar at the airfield, which is about 50 miles north of Manhattan.
Two sources said Maduro is now on United States soil and is to be flown by helicopter to a New York City location for processing before being transferred to the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn.
Officials said they expect a court appearance as soon as, or by, Monday evening.
Capture in Venezuela and U.S. Statements
Maduro and Flores were captured during a wide-scale United States operation that included “air, land and sea” military strikes in Caracas.
At least 150 aircraft were involved, according to the reporting notes. The couple were detained and taken out of the country.
President Donald Trump said earlier that the United States is “going to run” Venezuela “until such time as a safe, proper and judicious transition can take place.”
He also said that Washington would seek to tap Venezuela’s oil reserves.
Venezuela’s vice president, Delcy Rodríguez, said on state television that the United States actions were an attempt at regime change designed to seize the country’s oil and natural resources.
She later said Venezuela was ready to defend those resources.
The Venezuelan attorney general said civilians were killed in the strikes on facilities in Caracas and nearby areas.
Sources told NBC News that some United States soldiers were also injured and were in stable condition.
Assessment of the Regime’s Future
Andrew Latham, a senior Washington fellow at the Institute for Peace and Diplomacy, told NBC News that Maduro’s capture had “decapitated” the regime but said it was not over.
“Expecting the entire regime to collapse simply because Maduro has been captured and rendered back to the United States I think is unrealistic,” Latham said.
He added that Trump was “a little over his skis” in saying the United States would govern Venezuela and said multiple tiers of leadership remained in place.
Reactions in the Region
Public reaction spread beyond Venezuela’s borders.
Demonstrators gathered in central Bogotá, Colombia, at a pro-United States rally. Some participants carried Venezuelan flags.
“As a Colombian, we are very happy for our neighbors — because this moment represents freedom and a milestone in their history,” said Daniella, one of the demonstrators.
Another participant, a Venezuelan migrant living in Colombia, said she initially did not believe the news until speaking with relatives.
She said that for two decades Venezuelans had lacked control over their country’s resources, adding, “Without sovereignty, we have nothing to protect it.”
She also said, “In a way, I do feel that Trump has fulfilled his promise to create a united America, because America isn’t just the United States but an entire continent.”
Maduro is expected to be held in federal custody in New York as his case proceeds through the courts.
