Nicolás Maduro Arraigned in U.S. Court as Trump Escalates Threats Worldwide
NEW YORK / CARACAS, January 5, 2026 – Nicolás Maduro, the ousted Venezuelan president, appeared in a U.S. federal court in New York Monday, following his capture in a U.S. military raid in Caracas. Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, face charges including narco-terrorism and conspiracy to import cocaine. They are being held at Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center and are expected to plead not guilty.
The raid concluded months of U.S. planning to remove the autocratic leader. President Trump used the event to expand military threats to Colombia, Mexico, Cuba, Iran, and Greenland, asserting direct U.S. control over Venezuela. The remarks prompted immediate rebukes from Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen, who emphasized territorial sovereignty and NATO commitments.
The U.S. also imposed a naval blockade on Venezuelan oil tankers, leading at least 16 vessels to attempt evasion through location spoofing or signal shutdowns. Casualty reports varied, with Cuba citing 32 deaths, including military personnel, and Venezuela reporting roughly 80 fatalities. Switzerland froze Maduro’s assets to prevent transfers.
Global oil markets responded, with shares of Chevron, Exxon, and ConocoPhillips rising amid expectations of renewed access to Venezuelan oil reserves. The UN Security Council scheduled an emergency meeting, and U.S. officials plan congressional briefings. China’s loans-for-oil agreements with Venezuela now face uncertainty, while interim Venezuelan leader Delcy Rodríguez proposed a “cooperative agenda” with the U.S.
