The Headlines - The U.S. Captures Nicolás Maduro

Episode Date: January 3, 2026

On Today’s Episode:Trump Says U.S. Will ‘Run’ Venezuela After Capture of Maduro Tune in every weekday morning, and tell us what you think at: [e-mail]. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app.

From the New York Times, this is a special report from the headlines. It's Saturday, January 3rd. I'm Tracy Mumford. At my direction, the United States Armed Forces conducted an extraordinary military operation in the capital of Venezuela. President Trump says the U.S. has captured Venezuela's president. President Nicholas Maduro, and that the U.S. will now run the country. So we're going to stay until such time as we're going to run it, essentially, until such time as a proper transition can take place.

He says Maduro, along with his wife, were taken to a U.S. warship, and they're being brought to New York to face charges, including narco-terrorism and conspiracy to import cocaine. The attack was carried out in the dark, and explosions rocked the capital, Caracas. Photos and videos show fires and destruction at the country's largest military base and other locations. Trump said no U.S. soldiers were killed in the operation, though he suggested in a Fox News interview this morning that some were injured. The extent of any Venezuelan casualties wasn't immediately clear.

For months, the Trump administration has been waging a campaign to oust Maduro, who it's accused of flooding the U.S. with drugs. The U.S. has been striking boats it claims were smuggling narcotics from Venezuela, and the Pentagon built up about 15,000 troops in the region, including warplanes, attack helicopters, and an aircraft carrier. The Times has learned that since August, the CIA also had a group of officers secretly working inside Venezuela to track the authoritarian leader.

As the U.S. ramped up the pressure, people close to Maduro said he had been frequently changing cell phones and sleeping in different locations to try and avoid American forces. In addition to the focus on drug trafficking, the White House's approach to Venezuela has also been driven by a goal of securing access to the country's vast oil reserves. Trump said today that going forward, major American oil companies would help fix Venezuela's oil infrastructure and would, quote, start making money for the country.

Officials in Maduro's government have condemned the American operation, calling it an invasion. And the country, along with its allies, Russia and China, have asked the UN Security Council to hold an emergency meeting this weekend. In Washington, many congressional Republicans have applauded Maduro's capture. However, it has sparked alarm among Democrats who've raised concerns about the legality of the operation. Senator Andy Kim of New Jersey said, quote,

Trump rejected our constitutionally required approval process for armed conflict. For the latest coverage, including live updates, go to n.witimes.com and listen to The Daily on Sunday, for more details on how Maduro was captured and what comes next for Venezuela.