The U.S. has detained Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. What are they accusing him of?
The United States military conducted a night operation against the country of Venezuela this past week, damaging 3 military bases, killing over 80 people, and arresting President Nicolas Maduro on many charges.
Jan 5, 2026 — This morning, Nicolas Maduro appeared in a New York court. The United States has ramped up its criticism and military strength around the country of Venezuela in the past few months, and officially conducted an operation in the country just days ago. Now, the President has been removed from office and is facing federal charges in Manhattan.
The United States has long held positions on President Maduro. The indictment against him alleges conspiracy with international criminal organizations, focusing on narcotics trafficking. In previous years, the Biden administration has relied primarily on sanctions, diplomatic isolation, and criminal indictments rather than direct force, repeatedly recognizing opposition leader Juan Guaidó as Venezuela’s legitimate President and freezing billions in Venezuelan state assets abroad under U.S. jurisdiction. Those efforts, however, failed to extricate Maduro from power, as his government consolidated control with backing from Russia, Iran, and China while managing a collapsing economy and mass emigration.
Today’s court appearance marks the sharpest escalation yet. Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of New York allege that Maduro led a years-long conspiracy with transnational drug trafficking organizations, using cocaine exports as both a revenue stream and a political weapon. The charges revive claims that Venezuela functioned as a “narco-state,” accusations the Maduro government has long dismissed as propaganda.
Officials from the White House said the arrest followed a “lawful international operation” conducted in coordination with regional partners, declining to specify how Maduro was transferred to U.S. custody. The move comes days after a U.S. military operation inside Venezuelan territory, signaling a decisive break from the cautious posture of the Joe Biden era and raising immediate questions about sovereignty, international law, and the future of U.S.-Latin American relations.
In Caracas, power vacuums are already forming. Venezuela’s military high command released a brief statement urging calm, while opposition figures called for an immediate transitional government and internationally supervised elections. Markets reacted sharply, with oil futures spiking amid uncertainty over production and export continuity from the OPEC member.
If Maduro is convicted, he could face decades in prison. More broadly, the case may redefine how the United States confronts authoritarian leaders accused of transnational crimes. The future of the removed Venezuelan president remains to be seen.
