A U.S. Department of Defense aircraft carrying Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro arrived in New York on Saturday evening. The plane landed at Stewart Air National Guard Base in Newburgh, New York, and images showing Maduro leaving the aircraft began circulating around 5 p.m. ET.
The capture followed U.S. military operations in Caracas overnight Friday. According to President Donald Trump, Maduro and his wife were apprehended as they attempted to enter a saferoom at their residence.
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi stated that Maduro, his wife, and his son have been formally indicted in the Southern District of New York on charges including narco-terrorism conspiracy.
Maduro had previously faced indictment in March 2020 for similar charges in the same court district. In August 2025, the United States increased its reward to $50 million for information leading to his arrest. Maduro has denied all allegations against him.
“This is a breaking news story. Updates will follow.”
Newsweek
This story was originally published January 3, 2026 at 5:15 PM.
