Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores have been transported to United States territory following a dramatic military operation conducted by American forces on Venezuelan soil. The controversial capture operation, which Venezuelan officials have denounced as a flagrant violation of national sovereignty, culminated in the couple’s arrival at Stewart Air National Guard Base in Newburgh, New York aboard a US government aircraft on Saturday.
US Attorney General Pam Bondi has confirmed that the Venezuelan leader and his spouse will face multiple federal charges including narco-terrorism, conspiracy to import cocaine into the United States, and international drug trafficking offenses. The case represents an unprecedented escalation in the long-standing tensions between Washington and Caracas.
Venezuelan Vice-President Delcy Rodriguez issued an urgent demand for ‘proof of life’ documentation, stating that the government had lost contact with the presidential couple following the cross-border military intervention. The operation marks one of the most significant applications of US judicial authority against a sitting head of state in recent history.
The defendants are expected to be held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn pending their initial court appearance, which judicial sources indicate could occur as early as Monday. Legal experts anticipate this case will raise complex questions regarding international law, diplomatic immunity, and extraterritorial jurisdiction.