After months of escalating US pressure on Venezuela, the crisis reached a dramatic turning point on Saturday with the US capture of President Nicolás Maduro. According to President Donald Trump, Maduro was seized in a late night military operation and transferred to a US naval vessel to be transported to New York to face charges related to drug trafficking and narco-terrorism. The operation reportedly included large-scale military strikes, marking the most direct intervention to date.
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The US in Venezuela: Latest stories and updates
While Maduro is now out of power, the political future of Venezuela remains uncertain. Trump said the United States would effectively be “running” the country for the foreseeable future, though he offered few details on what that would entail. Venezuela’s vice president, Delcy Rodríguez, has been sworn in, and US officials have suggested a willingness to work with existing regime figures, even as Rodríguez publicly rejected any notion of US control and called for Maduro’s return. As details of the operation continue to emerge, major questions remain. Follow along here for the latest updates and analysis.
What do Venezuelans want for their country?
A march in support of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores, both detained in the United States, takes place in Caracas, Venezuela, on January 4, 2025. Javier Campos/NurPhoto via Getty ImagesIn the wake of a US military operation to capture Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro over the weekend, an atmosphere of uncertainty has settled on the South American country.
Maduro, who appeared in a US federal courtroom in New York today, is in US custody. Meanwhile, Vice President Delcy Rodríguez has stepped up to be Venezuela’s interim leader — and has already received fresh threats from President Donald Trump if she refuses to comply with US guidance.
Read Article >Trump’s actions in Venezuela have Latin America on edge
Federal agents escort Nicolás Maduro into an armored car en route to a federal courthouse in Manhattan on January 5, 2026. XNY/Star Max/GC Images via Getty ImagesThe fallout from the US capture and extradition of Nicolás Maduro is radiating around the world.
In a speech at Venezuela’s legislative palace, Maduro’s son,Venezuelan congressman Nicolás Maduro Guerra, condemned the capture.
Read Article >Donald Trump was never a dove
Venezuelans living in Panama celebrate with Venezuelan national flags and a mask depicting US President Donald Trump, in Panama City on January 3, 2026, after US forces captured Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro. Martin Bernetti/AFP via Getty ImagesIn 2023, then-Sen. JD Vance endorsed President Donald Trump’s presidential bid for one big reason: Trump’s commitment to peace. “He has my support in 2024,” Vance wrote, “because I know he won’t recklessly send Americans to fight overseas.”
Flash-forward to 2026, and Vice President Vance has been put in the awkward position of defending one of the most reckless US military raids of my lifetime: an explicit attempt to bring about regime change in Venezuela by abducting its president from his bed.
Read Article >Did Trump really invade Venezuela for oil?
Supporters of Nicolás Maduro burn a US flag on January 3, 2026, in Caracas, Venezuela. Jesus Vargas/Getty ImagesOver the weekend, the United States invaded Venezuela, captured its leader, and then declared itself to be in charge of South America’s fifth-largest country.
And no one — not even the US government — seems entirely sure why.
Read Article >Trump says the US is going to “run” Venezuela. What does that mean?
US President Donald Trump speaks during a news conference at the Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Florida, on January 3, 2026. Nicole Combeau/Bloomberg via Getty ImagesFor months, as the US has built up military forces around Venezuela, attacking alleged drug boats and seizing sanctioned oil tankers, the big question was whether the US would escalate to a campaign of regime change against the government of Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro.
After the dramatic events of Saturday morning, that question would appear to be answered — in some ways.
Read Article >How Trump went from boat strikes to regime change in Venezuela
The Venezuelan capital, Caracas, is seen at night after a series of explosions early in the morning on January 3, 2026. Federico Parra/AFP via Getty ImagesPresident Donald Trump called for the US to “run” Venezuela on Saturday, shortly after the arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro amid US strikes on the country’s capital of Caracas. The attack is a major escalation in Trump’s months-long pressure campaign against Venezuela and pushes the US into uncertain territory legally, politically, and militarily. Here’s what we know.
US forces launched attacks against an unspecified number of targets in Caracas, Venezuela, overnight, and successfully located and captured Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. The couple has since been flown out of the country, Trump said in an early morning social media post, and will be taken by ship to face criminal charges in the US. Much is still unclear, but Trump said Saturday that no US troops were killed in the attack.
Read Article >Why Trump sent in troops to capture Maduro, briefly explained
A supporter of Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro holds up a portrait of him in Caracas on January 3, 2026, after US forces captured the Venezuelan leader. Pedro Mattey/AFP via Getty ImagesPresident Donald Trump announced Saturday morning that the United States has captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, saying that the US had flown Maduro to a military ship off the country’s coast and will be taking him to New York.
The capture of Maduro was part of a military operation that included “large-scale strikes” on Venezuela, Trump said.
Read Article >Why is the US attacking Venezuela?
A motorcycle rides past a graffiti depicting Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in Caracas on January 3, 2026, the day President Trump announced that US forces had captured Maduro. Juan BARRETO / AFP via Getty ImagesEditor’s note, January 3, 2026, 8:30 am: President Donald Trump announced early on Saturday, January 3, that the United States had captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife after a “large-scale strike” on the country, a significant escalation of US involvement in the region. This article was originally published December 1, 2025, and last updated December 11.
Since the early fall, the US has been building up its military forces in the Caribbean and launching airstrikes on alleged drug boats, fueling speculation that it is planning a major military operation against the government of Venezuela.
Read Article >Who is Nicolás Maduro?
Nicolás Maduro’s regime is all about strength and exercising control over his opposition. Jesus Vargas/Getty ImagesEditor’s note, January 3, 2026, 10 am: President Donald Trump announced early on Saturday, January 3, that the United States had captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife after a “large-scale strike” on the country, a significant escalation of US involvement in the region. The article below was originally published December 9, 2025. For Vox’s latest coverage of the strike on Venezuela, see this article
Behind the crippling economic and political situation in Venezuela is Nicolás Maduro.
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