Deposed Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores arrived at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn late Saturday night after being transported by helicopter from the Drug Enforcement Agency in Manhattan after they were processed. Maduro is expected to remain in federal custody as he prepares to face narcoterrorism and weapons charges in the Southern District of New York, with arraignment expected to take place on Monday, January 5, 2026.
The 63-year old Maduro and his wife were captured in Venezuela by American military forces early Saturday morning in what President Donald Trump called “Operation Absolute Resolve.” Until a permanent leader can be found, the United States government will “run” Venezuela, Trump said, “until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition,” the President stated in a Saturday news conference. The U.S. government can’t risk someone else taking over the country, he said. Trump also stated that the United States “will seize Venezuela’s massive oil reserves.”
Maduro was elected in 2013 and served as Hugo Chavez’s vice president. He is facing charges of narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy, possession of machine guns and destructive devices, and conspiracy to possess machine guns and destructive devices against the United States. According to an unsealed indictment released by Attorney General Pam Bondi, Maduro “sits atop a corrupt, illegitimate government that, for decades, has leveraged government power to protect and promote illegal activity, including drug trafficking.”
Democratic Congressional members from the New Jersey delegation have voiced outrage and criticism at the President’s handling of the military operation without Congressional approval. Rep. Rob Menendez of the 8th Congressional District representing Hudson, Essex and Union counties stated, “I have long supported strong action to promote a transition to the democratic governance that the Venezuelan people deserve. Maduro is an illegitimate dictator who has circumvented democratic elections and brought unimaginable suffering to the people of Venezuela. Change in the country is very much needed, but this is not the way. No matter how reprehensible the regime, no President can circumvent Congress’s constitutional authority to declare war. It is imperative that the Republican majority stand with us and hold this Administration accountable. In the coming days there will be more questions that will arise especially given the Administration’s justification for this action. Congress must demand a full briefing for every Member of Congress on what occurred and the long-term consequences for the region and U.S. national security.”
Senator Cory Booker added, “Again and again the president has exceeded his authority, defied congressional intent, trampled the separation of powers, and broken the law — while Congress looked away in cowardice and submission.”
Congresswoman Nellie Pou, whose district includes parts of Passaic, Bergen and Hudson counties, said Maduro “must be finally held accountable for the grave harm he has inflicted.” But she opposed military action “without Congressional approval, a long-term plan, clear mission, or a defined path forward. From Vietnam to Iraq the American people know that engineering regime change does always not equal success and stability. Now more than ever we must exercise oversight and ensure a clear path toward peace, accountability and justice without war.”
Senator Andy Kim also voiced strong opposition to the military strike ordered by the President, stating, “Secretaries Rubio and Hegseth looked every Senator in the eye a few weeks ago and said this wasn’t about regime change. I didn’t trust them then and we see now that they blatantly lied to Congress. Trump rejected our Constitutionally required approval process for armed conflict because the Administration knows the American people overwhelmingly reject risks pulling our nation into another war. This strike doesn’t represent strength. It’s not sound foreign policy. It puts Americans at risk in Venezuela and the region, and it sends a horrible and disturbing signal to other powerful leaders across the globe that targeting a head of state is an acceptable policy for the U.S. government. This will further damage our reputation – already hurt by Trump’s policies around the world – and only isolate us in a time when we need our friends and allies more than ever.”
Rep. Josh Gottheimer, a Bergen County Democrat, issued a statement blasting Maduro, saying that he “undermined democracy, enriched himself at the expense of his people, partnered with enemies of the U.S. and led a corrupt, narco-linked regime.” But in a statement posted on X he did not directly oppose the President’s actions. Rather, he called for the Trump administration to fully brief Congress on its operations and strategy while commending the United States military involved in the Venezuela invasion.
Venezuela’s Supreme Court has directed Vice President Delcy Rodriguez to assume the powers and duties of acting president. Meanwhile, opposition leader María Corina Machado has called for an opposition candidate to assume power.