Jan 3, 2026 – U.S. forces capture Nicolás Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores in Caracas – Elite U.S. troops raid the presidential residence overnight, dragging the couple from their bedroom and seizing them for alleged drug‑and‑weapon offenses before air‑lifting them to Stewart Air National Guard Base for transport to New York [3][4].

Jan 3, 2026 – President Donald Trump announces the United States will “run” Venezuela indefinitely – Trump declares that Washington will oversee a transition, seize the nation’s oil reserves and recruit American firms to invest billions in refurbishing the collapsed energy sector, while U.S. troops will protect oil infrastructure [3][4].

Jan 3, 2026 – Vice President Delcy Rodríguez condemns the raid as a kidnapping and demands immediate release – Rodríguez denounces the operation as a violation of international law, calls for Maduro’s freedom, and signals that Venezuela will declare an external state of emergency [2][3].

Jan 3, 2026 – Opposition leader María Corina Machado urges installation of Edmundo González Urrutia – Machado posts a letter on X demanding that the opposition install González Urrutia as interim leader, framing Maduro’s capture as an opening for democratic transition [4].

Jan 3, 2026 – Latin American leaders issue mixed reactions – Cuba’s Díaz‑Canel condemns the raid as criminal, Mexico’s Sheinbaum cites UN Charter principles, Argentina’s Milei welcomes the capture, and Ecuador’s Noboa praises the change, illustrating a sharply divided regional stance [4].

Jan 3, 2026 – Nationwide protests erupt in major U.S. cities – Demonstrators in Washington, New York, Boston, Chicago and Los Angeles wave Venezuelan flags, with some celebrating the capture and others chanting anti‑war slogans, underscoring public ambivalence about a U.S.‑driven intervention [1][2].

Jan 3, 2026 – FAA restricts civilian flights over Puerto Rico and the Caribbean – The Federal Aviation Administration imposes a temporary air‑space restriction due to ongoing military activity linked to the operation, limiting most civilian traffic while exempting military flights [3].

Jan 4, 2026 – Maduro arrives at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn – After a helicopter transfer from Manhattan, the former president is escorted into the high‑security facility, where crowds of Venezuelan expatriates gather outside, waving flags as he prepares for arraignment [1].

Jan 4, 2026 – Venezuela’s Supreme Court orders Vice President Rodríguez to assume acting‑president duties – The court rules that Rodríguez must exercise the powers of the presidency during Maduro’s “temporary absence,” aiming to preserve governmental continuity amid the crisis [1].

Jan 4, 2026 – Trump reiterates U.S. plan to seize oil reserves and attract American investment – Trump pledges that the United States will take control of Venezuela’s vast crude stocks and enlist U.S. companies to pour billions into rebuilding the oil sector, positioning the move as a path to “freedom, security and prosperity” [1].

Jan 4, 2026 – Federal prosecutors schedule Maduro’s drug‑and‑weapon charges for next week – Manhattan federal court prepares to arraign the former president on the newly unsealed indictment that accuses him, his wife and son of operating state‑sponsored drug networks, signaling a major legal escalation [1][4].