Venezuela - President Nicolas Maduro & his wife "captured and flown out of country" by U.S. Army Delta Force during "large scale attack" - Jan 3, 2026

[Snoopster]

Well I can tell you the why of it but maybe not the true why of it...if that makes any sense. The why is Maduro was an indicted drug trafficker, in 2020. (Like the former President of Honduras was but he was also convicted as charged)
The same thing was done 37-ish years ago in Panama with Manuel Noriega...and a whole range of corrupt things branched off on that one too.

So the real why with Maduro is certainly more involved, Russia buddy-ing up and moving in supposedly, China getting lots of oil and possibly/probably? and looking to cop some uranium, Iran supposedly laundering monies to then send to arm Hamas and others waging terror and Cuba, it appears, just giving strong moral and physical support in the form of armed bodyguards/militia? All that tied in with Venezuela supposedly acting like a clearing house for Columbia's cocaine, supposedly.

That all said, the actions taking by Trump were against the agreed upon UN statutes and most likely, to me, widely overstepping the President's power. Congress wasn't even informed beforehand. This is an administration gone wild...that's the nicest way I can put it and the only way for now. I will say there may be more charges levied in the future, but domestically. AJMO

but isn't Donald Trump also an indicted felon? And isn't he trying to secure minerals from Ukraine?
I certainly hope that doesn't mean that any other country can come and grab him?

 

[sunshineray]

but isn't Donald Trump also an indicted felon? And isn't he trying to secure minerals from Ukraine?
I certainly hope that doesn't mean that any other country can come and grab him?

Yep, Yep and wouldn't that just be something Idk, should we be concerned about something like that...maybe?
Edit by me: Trump is in fact a 30+ convicted felon...but never sentenced.

 

[Betty P]

The prosecution of Maduro will be based on U.S. criminal law. There is an indictment, an arrest, and the court will proceed with the criminal charges against him. Hopefully he will spend the rest of his life in prison, like Noriega.

Did it also give the U.S. the right to kill 40 innocent Venezuelans in the process of grabbing Maduro? Were there U.S. indictments against those victims? What we the charges against his wife?

How many more countries does he plan to invade? Mexico? Greenland? Denmark? Canada? Will the U.S. military follow him on those pursuits, too?

 

[Sundog]

Did it also give the U.S. the right to kill 40 innocent Venezuelans in the process of grabbing Maduro? Were there U.S. indictments against those victims? What we the charges against his wife?

Not sure why you have quoted my post with your post. My post is about the criminal charges against Maduro in the U.S., regardless of how he got here.

 

[Betty P]

MSN

Venezuela’s new leader is a hardline socialist like Maduro​

Is he the legally elected leader of Venezuela?

There’s nothing wrong with being a socialist. My gr grandfather was one. He was also head of the local school board and served on the county council. His grandfather was a veteran of the War of 1812 and his gr grandfather was a Patriot who died in the American Revolutionary War.

 

[SouthAussie]

Delcy Rodriguez Instagram Post to the World

---

delcyrodriguezv

View this content on Instagram

View this content on Instagram

Rodriguez will have a delicate balancing act to perform. Or her own party may oust her. imo

"We invite the US government to collaborate with us on an agenda of cooperation oriented towards shared development within the framework of international law to strengthen lasting community coexistence."

"President Donald Trump, our peoples and our region deserve peace and dialogue, not war ..... Venezuela has the right to peace, development, sovereignty and a future."

 

[BayouBelle_LA]

"The focus is now on Diosdado Cabello," said Venezuelan military strategist Jose Garcia. "Because he is the most ideological, violent and unpredictable element of the Venezuelan regime."
(…)
Documents from an opposition security consultant, shared with the U.S. military and seen by Reuters, say commanders close to Cabello and Padrino are assigned to key brigades along Venezuela's borders and in industrial hubs.

The brigades, while tactically important, also sit on major smuggling routes.

"There are some 20 to 50 officers in the Venezuelan military who need to go, probably even more, to fully remove this regime," said a lawyer who has represented a member of senior Venezuelan leadership.

Some might be considering jumping ship. The lawyer said that around a dozen former officials and current generals had reached out after Maduro's capture, hoping to cut a deal with the U.S. by offering intelligence in exchange for safe passage and legal immunity.

But those close to Cabello said he was not currently interested in cutting a deal, the lawyer said.

Maduro is out but his top allies still hold power in Venezuela

Under Venezuela's constitution, Vice President Delcy Rodriguez becomes acting president in Maduro's absence.

www.reuters.com

 

[justtrish]

"The focus is now on Diosdado Cabello," said Venezuelan military strategist Jose Garcia. "Because he is the most ideological, violent and unpredictable element of the Venezuelan regime."
(…)
Documents from an opposition security consultant, shared with the U.S. military and seen by Reuters, say commanders close to Cabello and Padrino are assigned to key brigades along Venezuela's borders and in industrial hubs.

The brigades, while tactically important, also sit on major smuggling routes.

"There are some 20 to 50 officers in the Venezuelan military who need to go, probably even more, to fully remove this regime," said a lawyer who has represented a member of senior Venezuelan leadership.

Some might be considering jumping ship. The lawyer said that around a dozen former officials and current generals had reached out after Maduro's capture, hoping to cut a deal with the U.S. by offering intelligence in exchange for safe passage and legal immunity.

But those close to Cabello said he was not currently interested in cutting a deal, the lawyer said.

Maduro is out but his top allies still hold power in Venezuela

Under Venezuela's constitution, Vice President Delcy Rodriguez becomes acting president in Maduro's absence.

www.reuters.com

I can't imagine a place where the military guards drug smuggling routes. This caught my eye in the article as well.

"The United Nations found both SEBIN, the civilian agency, and DGCIM, the military intelligence service, have committed crimes against humanity as part of a state plan to crush dissent. Eleven former detainees - including some who were once security personnel themselves - described electric shocks, simulated drownings, and sexual abuse at DGCIM black sites to Reuters in interviews before Maduro's capture."

 

[SouthAussie]

(RSBM)

"President Trump threatened Colombia and its president, Gustavo Petro, on Sunday night, saying it is “run by a sick man who likes making cocaine and selling it to the United States.”

Australians in Colombia have been warned of the threat of unrest there, following the military strikes on Venezuela.
The Colombian authorities have increased security outside the US Embassy in Bogota.
Our updated travel advice says that demonstrations may turn violent and foreigners may be targeted.
High degree of caution advised.
Do Not Travel warning is now in place for areas within 20 kilometres of the border with Venezuela, as well as the border with Ecuador.


paraphrased from:

US-Venezuela as it happened: ‘Extremely dangerous’ precedent set by Trump; Maduro prepares to face New York court after capture

After Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro was captured in an audacious US military operation, the fallout continues as questions mount over Trump’s actions and what comes next for Venezuela. Follow our updates.

www.smh.com.au

 

[Yellowbelly]

To clear some things out, let's start with a definition of a sovereign state. From the Cambridge Dictionary:



That means American laws are executed in USofA by American governmental bodies. Venezuelan laws are executed in Venezuela by Venezuelan governmental bodies.

The Department of Justice is an American governmental body. As the Cornell Law School's page informs us, it's mission is

As in: a federal law of United States of America. As the definition of the sovereign state teaches us each government has a control over the law and it's enforcement in their own state only. So the American DoJ deals with American federal law on the American soil only. Doing it in other countries would be an infringement of their sovereignity. That's why the legal enforcement does not and cannot have any jurisdiction in another sovereign state.
So, yes, it is a fact that Department of Justice has no jurisdiction in Venezuela.

You cannot arrest anyone outside of the States with the arrest warrant from American LE for the reasons I put above. You cannot just drag that person to your country and arrest them there, because taking someone by force and against their will without any legal foundation is plain kidnapping.

Imagine for a sec China gets fed up with Trump, so Chinese troops land in Washington, drag him and Melania out of White House and take to Bejing for trial. Would you be fine with it because the Chinese have an arrest warrant issued by Chinese law enforcement?

I'd agree with every word of that, but it isn't how the United States sees things. See Ker v Illinois from 1886.

Ker v. Illinois - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Essentially, the law in the United States is that if agents acting under the authority of the United States kidnap you from anywhere in the world and can get you back to the United States, then you can be put on trial in the United States.

Now we may say "but, International Law..". Unfortunately, International Law is not unlike the Pirate Code, in reality.

 

[Fika]

"Where should we invade next?"

Hopefully nowhere in Europe!

Trump is escalating threats against sovereign nations today, again threatening Greenland.

The problem with that is NATO Article 5. The US cannot simultaneously remain a NATO member and attack a NATO member. US withdrawal from NATO places NATO assets in question ... global upheaval and power shift with no guarantee that the US comes out on top.

"Two groups of countries have issued a statement on the kidnapping of Venezuelan President Maduro. Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Uruguay, and Spain denounced the US attack as unlawful. A group of 26 EU member states called on Venezuela and the US for calm and restraint.​

...​

​

President Trump has issued threatening remarks against Venezuelan Vice President Rodriguez. "If she doesn't do the right thing, she'll pay a very high price, probably even higher than Maduro," he said in an interview with The Atlantic magazine ."​

Trump bedreigt vicepresident van Venezuela • Rijen voor supermarkten in Caracas

In dit blog lees je over de ontwikkelingen over de aanval van de VS op Venezuela en de gevangenname van de Venezolaanse president Maduro.

nos.nl

"The president told The Atlantic that [Vice President] Delcy Rodríguez needs to comply with U.S. wishes—or else.​

...​

​

During our call, Trump, who had just arrived at his golf club in West Palm Beach, was in evident good spirits, and reaffirmed to me that Venezuela may not be the last country subject to American intervention.​

​

“We do need Greenland, absolutely,” he said, describing the island—a part of Denmark, a NATO ally—as “surrounded by Russian and Chinese ships.” And in discussing Venezuela’s future, he signaled a clear shift away from his previous distaste for regime change and nation building, rejecting the concerns of many in his MAGA base. “You know, rebuilding there and regime change, anything you want to call it, is better than what you have right now. Can’t get any worse,” he said.​

Trump Threatens Venezuela’s New Leader With a Fate Worse Than Maduro’s

The president told The Atlantic that Delcy Rodríguez needs to comply with U.S. wishes—or else.

www.theatlantic.com

Hands off Greenland! How can president of another country just say we need it? Hands off Europe we didn’t vote for him we don’t want him

 

[Mo Thuairim]

Hopefully nowhere in Europe!

Hands off Greenland! How can president of another country just say we need it? Hands off Europe we didn’t vote for him we don’t want him

Americans voted in this nightmare but we all have to deal with the consequences, sadly. Apparently Trump has jurisdiction over the entire world now.

(And I know, not all Americans. Barely a majority. But here we are...)

 

[NuttMegg]

The 25 page indictment

https://www.justice.gov/opa/media/1422326/dl

Nicolás Maduro's wife, Cilia Flores, and his son, Nicolás Ernesto Maduro Guerra, were included in a superseding indictment because U.S. authorities allege they were knowing and active participants in the same long-running drug trafficking and narco-terrorism conspiracy that enriched the entire Maduro regime. The superseding indictment provided specific details of their individual alleged involvement.
Specific Allegations
Cilia Flores (Maduro's Wife)

• Accepting Bribes: Flores is accused of accepting bribes in 2007 to arrange a meeting between a drug trafficker and the director of Venezuela's National Anti-Drug Office.
• Facilitating Trafficking: This meeting allegedly led to a deal where the trafficker paid monthly bribes for "safe passage" of cocaine flights, with some funds going to Flores.
• Conspiracy and Violence: She is also alleged to have worked with her husband to use state-sponsored gangs to protect drug operations and was allegedly involved in ordering violence against those who interfered.

Nicolás Ernesto Maduro Guerra (Maduro's Son)

• Organizing Illegal Activities: Appointed to a government position by his father, "The Prince" allegedly used his role to help organize drug trafficking activities.
• Using State Assets: He is accused of using state-owned planes for drug transport.
• Dealing with Terrorist Groups: The indictment claims he was responsible for dealings with groups like the FARC to traffic drugs and guns.
• Specific Shipments: He allegedly shipped cocaine from Venezuela to Miami in 2017.

Thanks for finding that. The main question was why she wasn't indicted in 2020 along with her husband? At least one of these accused crimes is noted as 2007. Then, if she wasn't indicted before they took her, how can that occur?

 

[SouthAussie]

I'd agree with every word of that, but it isn't how the United States sees things. See Ker v Illinois from 1886.

Ker v. Illinois - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Essentially, the law in the United States is that if agents acting under the authority of the United States kidnap you from anywhere in the world and can get you back to the United States, then you can be put on trial in the United States.

Now we may say "but, International Law..". Unfortunately, International Law is not unlike the Pirate Code, in reality.

Though, I think Ker V Illinois says that the kidnapper (Julian) could be tried for kidnapping by Peru, or sued for trespass and false imprisonment by Ker - because it was not legal.
The kidnapping just didn't stop the criminal trial in the US.


"It must be remembered that this view of the subject does not leave the prisoner or the government of Peru without remedy for his unauthorized seizure within its territory.
Even this treaty with that country provides for the extradition of persons charged with kidnapping, and, on demand from Peru,
Julian, the party who is guilty of it, could be surrendered, and tried in its courts for this violation of its laws.
The party himself would probably not be without redress, for he could sue Julian in an action of trespass and false imprisonment, and the facts set out in the plea would without doubt sustain the action.
Whether he could recover a sum sufficient to justify the action would probably depend upon moral aspects of the case, which we cannot here consider."

https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/119/436/

 

[Fika]

Americans voted in this nightmare but we all have to deal with the consequences, sadly. Apparently Trump has jurisdiction over the entire world now.

(And I know, not all Americans. Barely a majority. But here we are...)

This has to be breaking of international law that comes with consequences? At least one would hope.

 

[Mo Thuairim]

This has to be breaking of international law that comes with consequences? At least one would hope.

It's absolutely illegal. There will be no consequences. The sooner we start thinking of Trump's US as a land-grabbing empire and not a modern republic, the more sense all of this will make. Rule of law doesn't come into it.

 

[Hexe]

The prosecution of Maduro will be based on U.S. criminal law.

That does not matter. The relations between the sovereign countries are regulated by the international law. If you want to put someone from the foreign country on trial in your country, you have to extract that person from said foreign country in accordance with the international law. So you either have to start a legal process of extradition or have an international arrest warrant. The US forces had none of these when kidnapping Maduro.

 

[Betty P]

I can't imagine a place where the military guards drug smuggling routes. This caught my eye in the article as well.

"The United Nations found both SEBIN, the civilian agency, and DGCIM, the military intelligence service, have committed crimes against humanity as part of a state plan to crush dissent. Eleven former detainees - including some who were once security personnel themselves - described electric shocks, simulated drownings, and sexual abuse at DGCIM black sites to Reuters in interviews before Maduro's capture."

So this sounds like something the UN has already been handling. It makes sense for the member nations of the UN, including the U.S., to continue to help Venezuela make a transition away from their old leadership to new.

 

[Fika]

It's absolutely illegal. There will be no consequences. The sooner we start thinking of Trump's US as a land-grabbing empire and not a modern republic, the more sense all of this will make. Rule of law doesn't come into it.

Thats really sad if he starts grabbing more countries he is nothing better then a war criminal and should he declared as one

 

[NuttMegg]

<Snipped for focus>

Apparently, you can. An indictment is the legal foundation.

“Federal courts held that the manner in which a defendant is brought before a US court—even by force, even from foreign soil—does not defeat criminal jurisdiction,” Neily wrote.

https://www.cnn.com/2026/01/04/politics/noriega-trial-maduro-legal-battle

Like Maduro, Noriega was accused of participating in a large-scale operation to smuggle drugs into the United States. And Noriega was also captured in a military operation in his home country.

Noriega’s attorneys quickly launched an aggressive defense of the military leader, accusing President George H.W. Bush’s Justice Department of violating both international law and due process protections by invading Panama and arresting him abroad.

Noriega’s arguments were ultimately unsuccessful — he was tried and convicted in 1991 and given a 40-year prison sentence.

A critical factor in his failed defense was that US courts “refused to consider the legality of the invasion itself,” Clark Neily of the libertarian think-tank Cato Institute pointed out in an article Saturday.

“Federal courts held that the manner in which a defendant is brought before a US court—even by force, even from foreign soil—does not defeat criminal jurisdiction,” Neily wrote.

He wasn't the head of state. Maduro is.