‘Happy New Year’: Nicolas Maduro Makes First Comments After US Capture in Viral Video

New York, January 3: Deposed Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro arrived in federal custody in New York late Saturday, following a high-stakes U.S. military operation in Caracas. In his first brief comments captured on video since the extraction, a handcuffed Maduro was heard wishing "Goodnight" and a "Happy New Year" to federal agents as he was escorted into the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) offices. The capture, dubbed "Operation Absolute Resolve," has sparked a global firestorm of legal and diplomatic debate, even as Maduro remains detained at the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) in Brooklyn pending his first court appearance.

A "Perp Walk" in New York

Footage released by the White House on Sunday showed the 63-year-old former president, dressed in a black hooded sweatshirt and a hat, walking through a hallway marked with the DEA New York Division seal. Surrounded by federal agents, Maduro appeared calm but weary as he made the transition from the heart of the Venezuelan presidency to a federal jail cell. U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi confirmed that Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, who was also captured in the raid, will face the "full wrath of American justice." The two are expected to be arraigned in Manhattan federal court as early as Monday on charges including narco-terrorism, cocaine importation conspiracy, and weapons offenses. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro Locked Up in Notorious Federal Jail in New York After Capture by US.

Details of the Pre-Dawn Raid

According to U.S. officials, the operation was the result of months of rehearsal involving elite special operations units, including Delta Force. President Donald Trump, speaking from his Mar-a-Lago residence, described the target as a "heavily fortified military fortress" in the center of Caracas. "He was trying to get into [a safety space], but he got bum-rushed so fast that he didn't get into that," the President told reporters, adding that U.S. forces had even built a replica of the building to practice the extraction. While the operation lasted less than 30 minutes, it involved significant air strikes that disabled Venezuela's electrical grid and radar systems to facilitate the snatch-and-grab.

Political Vacuum in Caracas

As Maduro remains in U.S. custody, Venezuela has been plunged into a leadership crisis. The Constitutional Chamber of the country’s Supreme Court has ordered Vice President Delcy Rodríguez to assume the role of interim president to ensure "administrative continuity." Rodríguez, currently believed to be in Russia, has characterized the capture as a "barbaric and illegal kidnapping." Meanwhile, President Trump has asserted that the United States will "run the country" on a temporary basis until a stable transition can be arranged, with a particular focus on reviving the nation's oil infrastructure. US Releases Video of Arrested Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, Show Staging ‘Perp-Walk’ in Handcuffs.

Maduro in Custody at New York Detention Centre

International Response

The capture has drawn sharp condemnation from traditional allies of the Maduro administration. China’s Foreign Ministry called for Maduro’s "immediate release," citing a violation of international law. Conversely, regional leaders like Argentina’s Javier Milei celebrated the move as a victory for freedom. In the U.S., the operation has divided lawmakers. While many Republicans praised the "decisive leadership" of the administration, several Democratic leaders have questioned the legal authority of a military-led regime change conducted without congressional approval.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 04, 2026 03:25 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).