Nicolas Maduro, wife plead not guilty to terrorism charges in court appearance

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., proclaimed that the U.S. is not at war with Venezuela despite the major operation targeting Maduro.

Johnson said the U.S. does not expect to deploy troops or have any "direct involvement in any other way beyond just coercing the interim government to to get that going."

"We are not at war," Johnson said. "We do not have U.S. armed forces in Venezuela, and we are not occupying that country."

"This is not a regime change," he continued. "This is a demand for change of behavior by a regime. The interim government is stood up now, and we are hopeful that they will be able to correct their action."

House Foreign Affairs Chair Brian Mast echoed Johnson, calling the operation a "specific law enforcement function" that removed a major obstacle for the Venezuelan people to "chart a new future."

Venezuela appeared to descend into chaos Monday night following reports of heavy gunfire and explosions near the presidential palace in Caracas.

Videos of the incident circulated on social media captured the sound of bullets raining down in the capital as residents appeared to scream for cover.

Colombian news outlet El Tiempo reported that the gunfire followed sightings of unidentified drones over the area. The exact number of drones that flew above the capital remains unknown.

A senior White House official told NewsNation that the U.S. is not involved but “the Administration is closely tracking the reports of gunfire out of Venezuela.”

El Tiempo said evacuations of government facilities were underway and the authorities have launched investigations and are working to contain the situation.

President Donald Trump has proposed a plan to rebuild Venezuela’s oil infrastructure following Maduro’s capture, with a timeline of less than 18 months.

Trump said American oil companies could expand operations in Venezuela with U.S. financial support, an effort he described as requiring a “tremendous amount of money.”

The companies, which would initially front the costs, could be reimbursed either directly by the U.S. government or through revenue generated by the oil sector, Trump said in a Monday interview with NBC News.

"I think we can do it in less time than that, but it’ll be a lot of money," Trump said. "A tremendous amount of money will have to be spent, and the oil companies will spend it, and then they’ll get reimbursed by us or through revenue.”

The administration reportedly believes that restoring Venezuela as a major oil producer would lower global oil prices, an outcome Trump said would benefit the American people.

"Having a Venezuela that’s an oil producer is good for the United States because it keeps the price of oil down," Trump added.

Venezuala’s government is launching a brutal crackdown to stifle any celebration of the authoritarian leader’s ousting, briefly detaining at least 14 journalists and media workers on Monday.

Under a newly declared state of emergency, paramilitary groups known as colectivos have flooded the streets of Caracas, intimidating residents and setting up checkpoints.

The National Union of Press Workers of Venezuela said all 14 journalists, including 11 from foreign outlets and one from national media, were arrested and then later released. Most of the arrests occurred near the National Assembly building, where Vice President Delcy Rodríguez was formally sworn in as interim president.

According to the Financial Times, the emergency decree ordered authorities to “immediately undertake the search for and arrest . . . of any person involved in the promotion of or support for the armed attack by the US against the territory of the republic."

China's top diplomat accused the United States of acting like a "world judge" by capturing Nicolas Maduro to put him on trial in New York, with Beijing set to confront Washington at the United Nations over the move's legality.

"We have never believed that any country can act as the world's police, nor do we accept that any nation can claim to be the world's judge," Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told his Pakistani counterpart during a meeting in Beijing on Sunday, Reuters reported.

Beijing routinely criticizes military activity conducted without the U.N. Security Council's approval.

The U.S. military's removal of Maduro, the leader of one of China's strategic partners, could be a litmus test of Beijing's assertion that it can play a role in resolving global hotspot issues.

Beijing and Caracas have become close in recent years.

The relationship continued after former Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez died in 2013 and Maduro became leader.

Maduro's son was even enrolled at Peking University in 2016.

In return, China poured money into Venezuela's oil refineries and infrastructure, providing an economic lifeline as the U.S. and its allies tightened sanctions from 2017, according to Reuters.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., on Monday questioned whether the Trump administration has a strategy to run Venezuela.

"The United States seemingly has no strategy, no endgame, no plan, not even more than day to day, maybe hour by hour," Blumenthal told reporters on Capitol Hill. "It's making up this stuff as it goes along. And the American people, I think, are going to be more and more disquieted and dismayed by this massive armada and force of men, women in uniform, put in harm's way, potentially not only boots on the ground, but lives at risk in the air and on the sea."

The senator urged Republicans to "show some backbone and stand up to Donald Trump."

Blumenthal also questioned Trump's motive for capturing Nicolas Maduro, saying the U.S. military operation to oust the Venezuelan leader was intended to benefit Trump allies and oil executives.

"Congressional approval should have been sought under the Constitution, as it must be whenever America's men and women in uniform are put in harm's way during an act of war," he said. "And clearly invasion of a sovereign country is an act of war that requires congressional approval. Now, going forward, I think Congress has to show some spine and backbone, specifically my Republican colleagues when the vote on the war Powers Resolution occurs and Americans are going to be watching for whether they stand up for constitutional authority, that is not just an opportunity. It's an obligation on the part of Congress."

It is the perpetual question in Congress. Was the Speaker briefed? When will they give you a briefing?

A Congressional "briefing" is supposed to shed light on unanswered questions.

And the questions are legion after the U.S. military mission to extract Nicolás Maduro from Caracas.

That initial "briefing" unfolded Monday night at the Capitol. Granted, not for every lawmaker. But the bipartisan House and Senate leadership, top members of the House and Senate Intelligence Committees, leaders of the Armed Services Committees, and the chairs and ranking members of the Foreign Affairs/Foreign Relations Committees. Democrats seethed that the White House did not notify Congress in advance of the operation. Granted, "notification" is different from a briefing. And it’s a far cry from Congress voting to authorize or suspend an operation under its Article I "war powers." Democrats – and some Republicans – contend that only Congress can bless an operation like the one in Venezuela. But regardless, both sides wanted to know what comes next.

It's all in the eye of the beholder.

"This is a military operation. We all know that," said Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., the top Democrat on the Intelligence Committee, on CNN.

"This was not an act of war or an invasion. This was the lawful apprehension of a fugitive from justice," countered Rep. Laurel Lee, R-Fla., on Fox.

Most Democrats say the administration violated the Constitution, dispatching U.S. forces abroad without Congressional permission.

"The President literally dropped into a sovereign nation, executed on this warrant, pulled the leader out with no plan for the next day," said Rep. Madeleine Dean, D-Penn., on CNN.

Some lawmakers fretted about President Trump’s future intentions and wondered if Venezuela was just a precursor.

"Now he's doubling down on this reckless policy," said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., on MSNOW. "He’s thinking about Colombia and thinking about Cuba and Greenland. I mean, the average American is going to say, ‘What is going on in the White House?’"

This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News' Chad Pergram.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro said Monday he would "take up arms" against the U.S. if it attacks his country, following U.S. military action in Venezuela and the capture and arrest of President Nicolás Maduro.

Petro, a former member of the leftist M-19 guerrilla movement that demobilized in the early 1990s, made the remarks in a post on X after President Trump suggested Colombia could be the next target in his administration’s war on drugs.

"Although I have not been a military man, I know about war and clandestinity," Petro wrote in a post translated to English from Spanish. "I swore not to touch a weapon again since the 1989 Peace Pact, but for the Homeland I will take up arms again that I do not want."

Petro also rejected Trump’s accusations that he is linked to drugs trafficking.

"I am not illegitimate, nor am I a narco," he wrote. "I only have as assets my family home that I still pay for with my salary. My bank statements have been published. No one could say that I have spent more than my salary. I am not greedy."

Petro's comments came after Trump spoke to reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday.

He warned that Colombia is "very sick too" and is "run by a sick man who likes making cocaine and selling it to the United States, and he’s not going to be doing it very long."

This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News' Emma Bussey.

A man who had a brief exchange with Nicolas Maduro in a Manhattan federal court said he was a prisoner in Venezuela.

Pedro Rojas, 33, expressed happiness at Maduro arrest, saying  "it's a responsibility for the Venezuelan people."

He said he was a prisoner in Venezuela for four months.

While speaking to Fox News, Rojas praised President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio over the military operation that resulted in Maduro's capture.

"I understand, I like the situation, the work, and the Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the President Trump, okay" he said. "This situation, Saturday, last Saturday, it's, wow, it is, wow!"

Rojas said he briefly spoke with Maduro, who said: "He's innocent, a prisoner of the war, innocent and prisoner of war, I like Jesus."

Energy Secretary Chris Wright is reportedly planning to meet with oil industry executives this week to discuss revitalizing Venezuela’s energy sector following Nicolás Maduro’s capture.

Wright is slated to attend the Goldman Sachs Energy, Clean Tech & Utilities Conference in Miami where executives from major energy companies, including Chevron and ConocoPhillips, will be in attendance, Bloomberg reported.

Chevron is the oil corporation that maintains operations in the South American nation, which sits atop the world's largest oil reserves.

Before making any financial commitments, oil companies will want to ensure a stable government is in place in Caracas, the report states, as well as the rule of law of followed.

The Trump administration has already had conversations with multiple oil companies, according to an official.

U.S. producers are prepared to step in, White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers told the news outlet.

“All of our oil companies are ready and willing to make big investments in Venezuela that will rebuild their oil infrastructure,” Rogers said.

Lawyers for the Trump administration asked a federal judge for additional time this week to detail its plans to provide due process for nearly 150 Venezuelan migrants that it deported to the Salvadoran CECOT prison in March, citing the removal of Nicolás Maduro, the Venezuelan leader who was captured by U.S. troops during a surprise raid in Caracas. 

In the motion for an extension, submitted to U.S. District Judge James Boasberg, lawyers for the Justice Department cited the "substantial changes on the ground in Venezuela" and the "fluid nature of the unfolding situation" in the wake of the U.S. capture of Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores.

They requested an additional seven days to comply with the court's order.

Boasberg, in response, told the Justice Department in a minute order that it had not complied with a local court rule requiring defendants in a civil case to first notify opposing counsel before asking the court for a delay – leaving the matter temporarily unresolved.

The update comes after months of tension-filled status hearings between lawyers for the Trump administration and lawyers for the 252 Venezuelan migrants who were deported to El Salvador's CECOT prison in March under the Alien Enemies Act, a 1798 immigration law, despite an emergency court order that sought to block the administration from immediately using the law to quickly remove certain migrants. 

The status of the migrants, who were removed again to Venezuela from CECOT in July as part of a prisoner exchange, further complicated the case. 

The exchange and U.S. involvement appeared to indicate at least some level of constructive custody of the migrants, as the court observed, prompting additional status hearings in the case. It also made it more difficult for lawyers representing the plaintiffs to track down all 252 CECOT migrants, some of whom had fled Venezuela due to persecution in their home country, and who have since remained in hiding.

This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News' Breanne Deppisch.

The White House on Monday denied a report that Maria Corina Machado’s acceptance of the Nobel Peace Prize affected President Donald Trump’s decision not to endorse her for president of Venezuela.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt clarified the matter with reporters.

“President Trump is routinely briefed on domestic political dynamics all over the world. The President and his national security team are making realistic decisions to finally ensure Venezuela aligns with the interests of the United States, and becomes a better country for the Venezuelan people," she said.

On Saturday, Trump had dismissed the idea of Machado, whose stand-in candidate, Edmundo González, won more than two-thirds of the vote in an election last year that saw Maduro refuse to leave office, The Washington Post reported.

"It’d be very tough for her to be the leader,” Trump said when asked about Machado on Saturday, adding that she “doesn’t have the support or the respect within the country.”

Associates of Machado, who covertly escaped Venezuela last month with the help of the United States to attend the Nobel Prize ceremony in Norway, were reportedly caught off-guard by Trump’s comments.

Two people close to the White House told the newspaper that Trump's lack of interest in boosting Machado, stemmed from her decision to accept the Nobel Peace Prize, an award he has openly coveted.

“If she had turned it down and said, ‘I can’t accept it because it’s Donald Trump’s,’ she’d be the president of Venezuela today,” one person said.

Nearly 8 million Venezuelans have left the country since 2024, just after Nicolas Maduro became president after the death of Hugo Chavez, according to the United Nations. 

Millions of Venezuelans have fled the country in recent years amid hyper-inflation that resulted in rising food prices.

In December 2024, the U.N. estimated that 7.9 million Venezuelans, nearly 29% of the country's population, required humanitarian assistance.

From 2013 to 2020, Venezuela’s GDP contracted by more than 80% and a study by a Venezuelan university stated that roughly 73% of the country's population lived in poverty in 2024.

Meanwhile, Maduro allegedly allowed his security forces to enrich themselves through illicit gold mining, drug trafficking, and extortion.

Just two days after posting a social media video signaling his freedom from government office, former New York Mayor Eric Adams  slammed fellow Democrats over their response to President Donald Trump’s operation to capture Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro.

Adams previously posted a video of himself with a cigar and what appeared to be bourbon, smiling as he lambasted the government as "slow as s---" filled with people trying to throw "sand in the gears" and predicting an "unforgettable, bada--, no bull---- 2026" – before issuing a starkly different message on Maduro than his mayoral successor.

By the weekend, Adams followed through, openly weighing in by thanking Trump for "hit[ting] the cartels where it hurts" through Maduro’s detention and sharply criticizing former Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Joe Biden’s approach to the Venezuelan strongman.

"I have seen firsthand how Nicolás Maduro destroyed Venezuela and turned it into a narco-state. Millions fled. Thousands landed in New York City," he said.

"Now in U.S. custody, the man who helped flood our streets with fentanyl is finally being held accountable. American lives were destroyed because of him."

Turning to those in his party, Adams said that days before Biden and Harris left office, they increased the bounty on Maduro to $25 million from an Obama-era $10 million.

This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News' Charles Creitz.

Switzerland has frozen Nicolas Maduro's assets held in that country, the Swiss government said on Monday.

The measure, which impacts 37 people and is valid for four years, is intended on preventing the exit of potentially illicit assets. It came amid existing sanctions imposed on Venezuela since 2018, the Swiss government's Federal Council said in a statement.

"The reasons behind Mr Maduro's fall from power do not play a decisive role in asset freezes under the FIAA," the council said. "Nor does the question of whether the fall from power occurred lawfully or in violation of international law. The decisive factor is that a fall from power has occurred and that it is now possible that the country of origin will initiate legal proceedings in the future with regard to illicitly acquired assets."

"The asset freeze serves to enable any future mutual legal assistance proceedings," the statement continued. "Should these reveal that the funds were illicitly acquired, Switzerland will endeavour to use them for the benefit of the Venezuelan people."

Barry Pollack, the Washington-based attorney who once represented WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, will defend deposed Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro.

Pollack appeared with Maduro on Monday as he pleaded not guilty in a Manhattan federal courtroom days after U.S. forces arrested Maduro and his wife during a military raid in the South American nation.

Pollack said he will challenge the legality of Maduro's arrest in his own country by a foreign power.

At Monday's court proceeding, Pollack said he anticipated extensive legal wrangling over what he termed Maduro's "military abduction," signaling the defense will argue Saturday's operation was unlawful, Reuters reported.

He may also claim that Maduro is immune from criminal charges as the head of a foreign government. 

Delcy Rodriguez, Venezuela's vice president and oil minister, was formally sworn in Monday as the country's interim president.

Rodriguez, 56, a close confidant to former leader Nicolas Maduro, was sworn in by her brother Jorge, who is the head of the National Assembly, Reuters reported.

Also sworn in Monday were were 283 Venezuelan lawmakers elected last May.

Rodriguez took over the role as interim president as Maduro made his court appearance in New York on federal narco-terrorism charges.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday praised the weekend military operation to capture Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife.

"There’s people that have fled to the United States – we have a big community in South Florida – and you will be hard-pressed to find a reign as destructive as the Chavez-Maduro reign has been, taking a country that had been prosperous and has an abundance of resources and basically destroying it," DeSantis said, the Tallahassee Democrat reported.

Florida has a sizeable Venezuelan population that is largely anti-Maduro and could be an emerging political force in the future.

Many Venezuelans were seen cheering and jumping for joy in South Florida following news of Maduro's capture on Saturday.

During his remarks, DeSantis said Maduro "deserves to be brought to justice."

"And my sincere hope is that the people of Venezuela are going to be able to liberate themselves from the yoke of the Chavez-Maduro reign, because it has been one of the most destructive reigns of any in the Western hemisphere’s history," he added.

Venezuelan authorities have been ordered to find and arrest anyone involved in supporting the military operation that led to the arrest of Nicolás Maduro.

A state of emergency decree issued Saturday, but published Monday, orders police to "immediately begin the national search and capture of everyone involved in the promotion or support for the armed attack by the United States," according to the text of the decree, Reuters reported. 

It was not clear what charges could be levied against those taken into custody. 

Maduro made his first court appearance Monday in New York, days after he and his wife were arrested by U.S. forces over the weekend. 

Both have been charged by the Justice Department with narco-terrorism and other offenses. 

"I am innocent. I am not guilty of anything that is written here," Maduro said in court as the charges against him were read. 

In Maduro's absence, Delcy Rodríguez, his former number two, has been sworn in as the interim president of Venezuela. Rodriguez, 56, has long been a confidant and backer of Maduro. 

This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News' Louis Casiano

China, Russia and Iran closed ranks at the UN Security Council on Monday, blasting the U.S. operation in Venezuela and warning it could destabilize the international order.

China accused Washington of “blatantly” violating Venezuela’s sovereignty and the UN Charter, arguing the use of force would deepen instability across Latin America and the Caribbean. Beijing called for dialogue and a political solution.

Russia echoed those claims, labeling the operation an act of armed aggression and demanding the release of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife. Moscow accused the U.S. of acting as a self-appointed global enforcer and undermining the credibility of the UN system.

Iran went further, branding the operation “state terrorism” and a full-scale act of aggression. Tehran said Washington was replacing international law with U.S. domestic law and warned that continued Security Council inaction would encourage impunity. Iran also rejected U.S. allegations against it and reaffirmed its right to self-defense.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro requested that he be able to keep the copious notes he took during his first court appearance in New York City on Monday.

Maduro could be seen writing on a note pad constantly during the Monday morning hearing. As the proceedings concluded, Judge Alvin Hellerstein asked Maduro if he understood what had taken place.

"Yes, I understood it and have taken notes. I would like to make a request. I would like to ask that my notes be respected, and that I am allowed to keep them," Maduro responded through an interpreter.

Judge Hellerstein said he had no issue with Maduro keeping the notes.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro responded to a Spanish-speaking heckler as he was led out of a New York City courtroom on Monday.

The heckler, 33-year-old Pedro Rojas, said that "in the name of the people of Venezuela, Maduro will pay," according to a translation.

Maduro responded, saying in Spanish, "I am a kidnapped president. I am a prisoner of war."

Rojas told reporters after the interaction that he was a prisoner in Venezuela for four months.

The U.S. says it is moving forward with deportation flights to Venezuela despite the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Saturday.

The Department of Homeland Security confirmed that plans have not changed since the operation.

"Flights are not paused," a DHS spokesperson told Fox News.

The deportation flights had briefly been halted in early December following a rise in tensions with Maduro.

Fox News' Patrick Ward contributed to this report.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro repeatedly tried to speak during his first court appearance in New York City on Monday, insisting "I am innocent."

Maduro made the remarks during his arraignment in federal court on Monday, but Judge Alvin Hellerstein repeatedly shut down his attempts to speak. Maduro pleaded not guilty to all four counts against him.

"I am innocent. I am a decent man. I am still president of my country," he argued.

Maduro also attempted to give a detailed description of his capture from Venezuela, but Hellerstein cut him off and said there would be time for him to make his case later.

Maduro's wife, Cilia Flores, also pleaded not guilty to the three charges against her.

The Democratic Socialists of America, the nation's largest socialist group with ties to left-wing leaders such as New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, published a lengthy rebuke of the U.S. capture of Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro, demanding he and his wife be returned to power as they face criminal charges on U.S. soil. 

"The Trump Administration has started an illegal war against Venezuela," the DSA published in a rebuke Saturday. "This is a nakedly imperialist war to install a US puppet government that will give Venezuela’s oil resources over to US corporations and to force US hegemony over Latin America — the new ‘Trump Corollary’ to the Monroe Doctrine. This war is illegal both under international law and the laws governing the declaration of war within the United States."

President Donald Trump confirmed a successful strike on Venezuela Saturday morning in a military operation that did not kill any U.S. military personnel, did not damage U.S. military equipment, and yielded the arrests of Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, on sweeping narcotics charges.

The dictatorial president of Venezuela, who was first elected in 2013, is accused of working with cartels and narco gangs in South America and Mexico to distribute millions of pounds of cocaine to the U.S. Trump had vowed to curb the flow of illicit drugs into the U.S. while on the campaign trail. When he took office for his second term nearly a year ago, he imposed tariffs on nations such as China over deadly fentanyl or boat strikes in the Caribbean targeting suspected drug traffickers from Venezuela.

The DSA hit back in its statement, saying, "Trump’s war has nothing to do with drug trafficking."

"There is no substantiated evidence that high-level members of the Venezuelan government are 'narco-terrorists,'" the DSA wrote. "Yet, the Trump administration is using this claim as the pretext for this illegal war. This is another regime-change war to steal another country’s oil, just like the failed war against Iraq, and to crush any resistance to US imperialism. Trump’s war will only impoverish the people of Latin America."

Trump called the strike a massive success over the weekend, celebrating to the media that Maduro and his wife were swiftly captured while commending the military for its execution of the operation.

"The United States military is the strongest and most fearsome military on the planet. By far. With capabilities and skills our enemies can scarcely begin to imagine. We have the best equipment anywhere in the world," he said Saturday during a press conference on the strike. 

The DSA is supported by a handful of left-wing politicians and lawmakers. Most recently, longtime DSA member Mamdani rose through the ranks of New York politics and was elected mayor of the Big Apple in the November election. Lawmakers such as New York Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Michigan Rep. Rashida Tlaib are also prominent members of the left-wing group and have received its endorsement in previous elections. 

This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News' Emma Colton

U.S. Ambassador Mike Waltz forcefully defended Washington’s actions in Venezuela during an emergency UN Security Council meeting Monday, questioning the body’s legitimacy for engaging with Nicolas Maduro and rejecting claims of military aggression.

“If the UN and this body confers legitimacy on an illegitimate narco-terrorist and treats him like a democratically elected head of state, what kind of organization is this?” Waltz said as he opened the U.S. response.

Waltz framed the operation as a law enforcement mission rather than a military conflict, stressing the United States was not at war with Venezuela. “There is no war against Venezuela or its people,” he said. “We are not occupying a country. This was a law enforcement operation.”

He said the U.S. carried out a “surgical law enforcement operation facilitated by the U.S. military,” targeting “two indicted fugitives of American justice — narco-terrorist Nicolas Maduro and Celia Flores.”

Waltz compared the move to the 1989 arrest of Panama’s Manuel Noriega, arguing the region later became more stable, and said Maduro and Flores were transferred to the U.S. to stand trial amid widespread international rejection of Maduro’s legitimacy.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's wife, Cilia Flores, has enlisted the services of a veteran U.S. prosecutor to serve as her defense attorney amid her indictment in New York, court filings show.

Texas Attorney Mark Donnelly filed a motion to serve as counsel for Flores on Monday. He previously served twelve years at the Department of Justice, including as Senior Advisor to the United States Attorney for the Southern District of Texas.

"Mark has extensive experience investigating white collar cases, having run the Southern District’s fraud division for over two years. His white collar practice included FCPA investigations, Healthcare Fraud, joint SEC matters, large scale investor fraud, and cyber security matters," Donnelly's biography reads.

The Texas House of Representatives also enlisted Donnelly to assist in the 2023 investigation and impeachment trial for Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. Paxton's impeachment case made it to the Texas Senate, but he was ultimately acquitted on all charges.

It remains unclear whether Maduro has enlisted an attorney to represent him in the case as of Monday.

Maduro and his wife were transferred to a federal court in New York City for their arraignment on charges of narco-terrorism.

Maduro faces four charges: narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy, possession of machine guns and destructive devices and conspiracy to possess machine guns and destructive devices.

Flores faces three charges, including cocaine importation conspiracy, possession of machine guns and destructive devices, and conspiracy to possess machine guns and destructive devices.

Cuba acknowledged that 32 of its citizens — described by the government as members of the island’s armed forces and intelligence services — were killed during the U.S. operation that seized Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro in Caracas, declaring two days of national mourning in their honor.

Havana did not specify where the personnel were stationed during the raid. But their deaths have renewed scrutiny of years of reporting and international investigations documenting Cuba’s deep and covert involvement inside Venezuela’s military and intelligence structures.

Jorge Jraissati, a Venezuelan political analyst, said Cuba’s intelligence role was critical to the consolidation of power first under Hugo Chávez and later under Maduro. "Experts usually link Cuba as the most important intelligence provider of Venezuela. This includes issues like running elections, building diplomatic leverage with other countries and keeping the security forces in check, among others," he told Fox News Digital.

Jraissati said any transition in Venezuela "would require the American government, in partnership with the Venezuelan people, to work together on minimizing the Cubans’ influence over Venezuela’s state apparatus and society at large."

A Reuters investigation published in August 2019 found that two confidential agreements signed in 2008 granted Cuba sweeping access to Venezuela’s armed forces and intelligence services. Under those agreements, Cuban officials were authorized to train Venezuelan troops, restructure intelligence agencies and help build an internal surveillance system focused on monitoring Venezuela’s own military, according to the report.

Those arrangements played a central role in transforming Venezuela’s military counterintelligence agency — the General Directorate of Military Counterintelligence (DGCIM) — into a force designed to detect dissent, instill fear within the ranks and ensure loyalty to the government, the investigation found.

The findings were later echoed by the United Nations Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Venezuela, which said it reviewed a 2008 memorandum of understanding between Cuba and Venezuela. The U.N. mission reported that the agreement provided for Cuban advisory oversight in the restructuring of Venezuelan military intelligence, including the creation of new agencies, training of counterintelligence officers and assistance with surveillance and infiltration techniques.

This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News' Efrat Lachter

Democrats' anger over President Donald Trump's weekend operation in Venezuela is now turning into demands for his impeachment by some members of the party's leftmost flank.

Several progressives have now called for proceedings against Trump after the administration carried out strikes in Caracas and captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife. 

"Many Americans woke up to a sick sense of déjà vu. Under the guise of liberty, an administration of warmongers has lied to justify an invasion and is dragging us into an illegal, endless war so they can extract resources and expand their wealth," Rep. Delia Ramirez, D-Ill., a member of the House's "Squad," posted on X over the weekend.

"We must pass Congresswoman Ilhan Omar’s War Powers Resolution that asserts Congress' authorities, and Trump must be impeached."

Ramirez was referring to a resolution led by Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., aimed at blocking Trump from carrying out military action against Venezuela.

Meanwhile, Rep. Dan Goldman, D-N.Y., who is facing a primary challenge from his left, criticized Trump for bypassing Congress to launch what he called a "war" with Venezuela, and he argued the administration failed to give lawmakers "any satisfactory explanation."

"This violation of the United States Constitution is an impeachable offense," Goldman said in a statement. "I urge my Republican colleagues in the House of Representatives to finally join Democrats in reasserting congressional authority by holding this president accountable for this gross violation of the Constitution."

Rep. April McClain Delaney, D-Md., did not mention Trump by name, but she posted on X, "Let’s be clear, invading and running another country without a congressional declaration of war is an impeachable offense. Whether it makes sense to pursue impeachment as the best strategy to end this lawlessness is a tactical judgment that our Caucus needs to seriously deliberate."

This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News' Elizabeth Elkind

This is an excerpt from an opinion article by former Trump adviser K.T. McFarland

President Donald Trump’s bold decision to capture, arrest, and bring Venezuelan strongman Nicolás Maduro to trial for drug-related offenses is far bigger than Operation Absolute Resolve itself. It resets the global chessboard. Here are ten reasons why.

First, the Venezuelan operation proves that American military and intelligence capabilities aren’t just better than anybody else’s — they operate in a wholly different dimension. 

Russian President Vladimir Putin has thrown his entire military at Ukraine in hopes of establishing Russian domination and killing President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The bloody war has dragged on for three years, costing hundreds of thousands of lives and hundreds of billions of dollars, while draining both countries. And still, that war grinds on.

President Trump sent a small group of special forces into Caracas. Within three hours, they had captured President Maduro and his wife, transporting them to New York to face justice in a U.S. court. No Americans were killed.

Operation Absolute Resolve, like Operation Midnight Hammer, which destroyed Iran’s nuclear capabilities in a matter of hours, was carefully planned, flawlessly executed, and 100% successful. Nobody but America could do that — and leaders around the world know it.

Second, as President Trump says, if you kill Americans, you will be held accountable. Maduro and the drug cartels have killed tens of thousands of Americans with drugs. Not only have we now secured our borders and stopped the flow of fentanyl, but we are bringing drug cartel leaders — including the Maduro family — to face justice.

Third, President Trump has just reversed decades of failed American foreign policy. For years, American leaders of both parties ignored the importance of the Western Hemisphere. They dismissed the growing threats from the countries themselves and from anti-American powers seeking to establish footholds in our hemisphere. American leaders turned a blind eye to drug smuggling and human trafficking. The Biden administration, for its own political purposes, actively encouraged a mass invasion across our border by illegal aliens.

While we were focused on the forever wars in the Middle East and the dogma of climate change, three groups were moving into South and Central America — the Chinese, the cartels, and the communists.

Trump’s new national security strategy puts the Western Hemisphere at the center of our foreign policy. Trump allies and reformers now govern Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, and El Salvador — and potentially Venezuela. His long-term vision is a North and South America united by similar economic and governance systems, working in harmony for peace and prosperity...

President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, face a "worst-case scenario" as a married couple entrenched in Venezuelan politics and now detained in the U.S. ahead of their Jan. 5 arraignment, according to a national security expert.

Maduro and Flores, who have been married for 12 years, were arrested in Caracas during a nighttime operation on Jan. 3 and transported to U.S. custody, where federal prosecutors have brought criminal charges against both, officials said.

"This is a worst-case scenario for them, not being in power but in custody of the U.S. government," Roxanna Vigil told Fox News Digital.

"They are husband and wife, but there is also the political component because their political futures are tied together as well," the Council on Foreign Relations fellow added.

Maduro, 63, has been charged with four counts: narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy, possession of machine guns and destructive devices, and conspiracy to possess machine guns and destructive devices.

Flores, 69, has been charged with three counts: cocaine importation conspiracy, possession of machine guns and destructive devices, and conspiracy to possess machine guns and destructive devices.

Flores first gained attention in 1994 when, as a lawyer, she defended Hugo Chávez after his failed 1992 coup attempt.

After Chávez was elected, she sat in the National Assembly in 2000 before serving as president of the National Assembly – succeeding Maduro – and later as Venezuela’s attorney general from 2012 to 2013 under both men.

Fox News' Emma Bussey contributed to this report

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum again condemned President Donald Trump's operation to capture Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Monday.

Sheinbaum made the statement while talking to reporters at a press conference Monday morning. Trump has hinted at further military operations in South America following the successful strike on Caracas.

"We categorically reject intervention in ‍the ​internal matters of other ⁠countries," Sheinbaum said.

"It is necessary to reaffirm that in Mexico the people rule, and that we are a free and sovereign country—cooperation, yes; subordination and intervention, no," Sheinbaum said.

The Mexican leader added that Mexico is a sovereign country and is cooperating with the U.S. on drug trafficking and security.

Reuters contributed to this report.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro vowed to "take up arms" in response to threats from President Donald Trump on Monday.

Petro made the statement on social media, reacting after Trump said a military operation in Colombia sounded "good" to him after the successful capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Saturday.

"I swore not to touch a weapon again... but for the homeland I will take up arms again," Petro wrote.

"I am not illegitimate, nor am I a narco," he continued.

Trump had earlier warned that Petro needs to "watch his a--" following the Venezuela operation.

President Donald Trump on Sunday issued warnings about Colombian President Gustavo Petro’s political future, and renewed threats to annex Greenland.

Trump, speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, was initially responding to questions about a U.S. military operation in Caracas that resulted in the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, as well as the future of Venezuela, when he shifted his focus to another South American country.

"Columbia's very sick too, run by a sick man who likes making cocaine and selling it to the United States. And he's not going to be doing it very long. Let me tell you," Trump said.

When pressed by a reporter to clarify his remarks, Trump claimed that Petro has "cocaine mills and cocaine factories."

"So there will be an operation by the U.S. in Colombia?" the reporter asked.

"It sounds good to me," Trump responded.

His attention then turned to Greenland, where he once again expressed an interest in acquiring the Danish territory.

"We need Greenland from the standpoint of national security, and Denmark is not going to be able to do it," Trump said.

"We need Greenland from a national security situation. It's so strategic," he added.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen sharply rebuked Trump’s comments, urging him to cease what she described as baseless threats against a close ally.

"The Kingdom of Denmark - and thus Greenland - is part of NATO and is thus covered by the alliance's security guarantee. We already have a defense agreement between the Kingdom and the USA today, which gives the USA wide access to Greenland. And we have invested significantly on the part of the Kingdom in the security of the Arctic," said Frederiksen in a press release.

This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News' Ashley Carnahan

Venezuelan exile Daniel Di Martino joined Fox News urge the Venezuelan regime to release its political prisoners following the capture of dictator Nicolas Maduro.

Di Martino fled Venezuela in 2016 and has lived in the U.S. in the decade since.

Sen. John Fetterman, D-Penn., criticized his fellow Democrats who are refusing to acknowledge that the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is a "good thing" on Monday.

Fetterman made the statement during an appearance on Fox News as Maduro was being transferred to a New York City courtroom.

Yeah, I mean, for me, I think I don't know why we can't just acknowledge that it's been a good thing what's happened," Fetterman said. "I mean, I've seen the the speeches from whether it's Leader [Chuck] Schumer or kinds of past tweets from President [Joe] Biden. You know, we all wanted this man gone, and now he is gone."

"I think we should really appreciate exactly what happened here. And I think we did, just as I salute our military, what they've done that was really surgical and precise and very efficient. So why we can't celebrate these kinds of things?" he continued.

Fetterman specifically responded to criticism from Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Ct., who called the operation "wildly illegal."

"I respect, my friend in Connecticut, but we have different views on this and perhaps other views as well. I, again, I just said this on my social media that, you know, remind everybody that America is a force of good, order and democracy. And we are promoting these kinds of values. We are the good guys," Fetterman said. "Remember, we all Democrats years ago wanted to eliminate him. And then why have a bounty of $25 million? If we didn't want him gone, why would you do these things if you weren't willing to actually do something other than harsh language?"

Nicolas Maduro, the dethroned Venezuelan dictator indicted on major drug trafficking and weapons charges in the United States, was transferred to federal court in New York Monday for his arraignment, days after American forces captured him in his own presidential palace.

Footage showed federal authorities transferring a handcuffed Maduro from a helicopter to an armored truck ahead of his Monday court appearance.

The hearing, in which Maduro will be formally told the charges against him, is set for noon ET. His wife, Cilia Flores, was arrested in the raid and is also due in court. Like her husband, she was a high-level official in Venezuela's socialist regime.

Maduro faces four charges: narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy, possession of machine guns and destructive devices and conspiracy to possess machine guns and destructive devices.

"For over 25 years, leaders of Venezuela have abused their positions of public trust and corrupted once-legitimate institutions to import tons of cocaine into the United States," federal prosecutors wrote in a superseding indictment unveiled over the weekend.

Flores faces three: cocaine importation conspiracy, possession of machine guns and destructive devices, and conspiracy to possess machine guns and destructive devices.

Similar proceedings are usually short. There won’t be any witness testimony, the defendants will have a chance to enter their pleas, and the judge will set the next court date and address the subject of pretrial release.

Bail is highly unlikely, according to legal experts.

This is an excerpt from an article by Fox News' Michael Ruiz

Federal authorities transferred Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro to a New York City courthouse ahead of his first court appearance on Monday.

Maduro and his wife are expected to be arraigned on narco-terrorism charges at 12:00 p.m. ET on Monday. Neither are expected to appear before cameras.

Maduro has been charged with four counts, including narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy, possession of machine-guns and destructive devices, and conspiracy to possess machine-guns and destructive devices.

His wife, Cilia Flores, has been charged with three counts, including cocaine importation conspiracy, possession of machine-guns and destructive devices, and conspiracy to possess machine-guns and destructive devices.

Marine veteran Chad Robichaux joined 'Fox & Friends First' to discuss the sophistication of the U.S. military operation in Venezuela that led to the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.

U.S. officials say months of preparation went into Saturday's operation, with a CIA team being deployed to Venezuela in August to monitor Maduro's movements.

Robichaux said it is likely that the CIA operatives were "right next to Maduro" during the months of preparation that led to his successful capture.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended the U.S. operation in Venezuela on Sunday as NBC News host Kristen Welker pressed him on why the administration didn't seek congressional approval.

"White House chief of staff Susie Wiles told Vanity Fair that an attack on Venezuela’s mainland would require approval from Congress," Welker told Rubio on "Meet the Press." "Why didn’t that happen? And will it happen with any future action the administration plans to take in Venezuela or elsewhere?"

The U.S. carried out a strike in Venezuela on Saturday and captured Nicolás Maduro and his wife as part of "Operation Absolute Resolve."

"This was not an action that required congressional approval," Rubio responded. "In fact, it couldn’t require congressional approval because this was not an invasion. This is not an extended military operation. This is a very precise operation that involved a couple of hours of action. It was a very delicate operation, too. It was one that required all these conditions to be in place at the right time, in the right place."

Rubio also said they couldn't afford any potential leaks.

"You couldn’t afford leaks. We couldn’t afford anything out there that would have endangered the mission and gotten people killed, or killed off the mission in the optionality. We didn’t even know if the mission was going to happen. How can you notify something you’re not even sure if it can happen? Because in order for it to happen, you had needed to have weather conditions in place," he added.

Welker pressed Rubio on whether the administration planned to work with Congress.

"Well, we will seek congressional approval for actions that require congressional approval, but otherwise they will get congressional notification," Rubio told Welker. "And this is not an operation that requires congressional approval. In fact, this is an operation akin to what virtually every single president for the last 40 years has conducted. The difference is that when it’s Donald Trump, you know, all these Democrats go bonkers."

Captured Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, are expected to make their first appearance in a U.S. courtroom at noon Monday, a required proceeding that could launch a prolonged legal battle over whether the pair can be tried in the United States.

Maduro and Flores are expected to be transported from a Brooklyn jail to a Manhattan courthouse for the brief hearing tied to sweeping narco-terrorism and drug trafficking allegations that the Trump administration cited in justifying the military operation that seized the couple and brought them to U.S. soil.

Maduro’s lawyers are expected to challenge the legality of his arrest and argue he is immune from prosecution as a sovereign head of state.

The situation has drawn comparisons to Panamanian strongman Manuel Noriega unsuccessfully raised a similar defense after he was captured by the U.S. in 1990. The U.S., however, does not recognize Maduro as Venezuela’s legitimate head of state, particularly after a disputed 2024 reelection.

It was unclear whether Maduro had hired a U.S. lawyer. Both Maduro and Flores have been under U.S. sanctions for years, making it illegal for an American to accept money from them without first obtaining a Treasury Department license.

The indictment made public Saturday accuses Maduro and others of working with drug cartels to facilitate shipments of thousands of tons of cocaine into the U.S. The pair could face life in prison if convicted.

The indictment also accuses Maduro and Flores of ordering kidnappings, beatings and murders linked to their trafficking operation, and alleges Flores accepted bribes in 2007 to arrange a meeting between a drug trafficker and Venezuela’s anti-drug office chief, leading to additional monthly bribes.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.