Maduro Arrest Sparks UN Security Council Session

News Desk

New York/Washington/Doral: Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro was being held in a New York jail on Saturday after US special forces seized him in a pre-dawn operation in Venezuela, an action that has drawn sharp international criticism and prompted an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council.

US President Donald Trump said Washington would effectively “run” Venezuela following the operation, though he provided few details on how the transition would be managed.

Speaking briefly to The New York Times, Trump described the raid as “brilliant,” praising the planning and troops involved.

According to US officials, commandos captured Maduro and his wife during the overnight raid as air strikes targeted sites in and around Caracas.

A US government aircraft transported Maduro to a military base before he was flown by helicopter to New York City, where the couple were to be arraigned on drug trafficking and weapons charges.

The White House posted video on X showing Maduro handcuffed and escorted by federal agents through a US Drug Enforcement Administration facility in New York. In the footage, the 63-year-old is heard saying, “Good night, happy new year.”

The United Nations Security Council is scheduled to convene on Monday to discuss the US military action, which UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned could set “a dangerous precedent.”

The emergency meeting was requested by Colombia and backed by Russia and China, diplomats said.

Somalia, which holds the rotating presidency of the 15-member council for January, confirmed the meeting would be held under the agenda item “Threats to International Peace and Security.”

Venezuela’s UN Ambassador Samuel Moncada condemned the operation as a “colonial war aimed at destroying our republican form of government,” accusing Washington of violating the UN Charter’s prohibition on the use of force against a state’s territorial integrity or political independence.

Guterres’ spokesman, Stephane Dujarric, said the secretary-general was “deeply concerned” that international law had not been respected, stressing the need for full adherence to the UN Charter.

The operation follows months of heightened US pressure on Venezuela, including maritime interdictions targeting suspected drug trafficking and an expanded blockade of vessels subject to American sanctions. Last month, US forces intercepted two tankers carrying Venezuelan crude.

Meanwhile, Venezuelans in the United States reacted with a mix of jubilation and uncertainty. In Doral, a Miami-area city with a large Venezuelan community, crowds gathered outside a popular restaurant before dawn, embracing and celebrating the news.

“We woke up with the news that someone finally had done justice, and this fills us with happiness,” said Douglas Zarzalejo, a 55-year-old Venezuelan who has lived in Florida for 11 years. “Our country’s recovery has begun.”

Despite the dramatic developments, what comes next for Venezuela remains unclear as diplomatic tensions rise and international scrutiny intensifies. Input from AFP & APP.