President Nicholás Maduro

Maduro's case revives debate on foreign leader immunity in Noriega trial

When deposed Venezuelan leader Nicols Maduro makes his first appearance in a New York courtroom Monday to face US drug charges, he will likely follow the path taken by another Latin American strongman toppled by US forces: Panama's Manuel Noriega. Maduro was captured Saturday, 36 years to the day after Noriega was removed by American forces. And as was the case with the Panamanian leader, lawyers for Maduro are expected to contest the legality of his arrest, arguing that he is immune from prosecution as a sovereign head of foreign state, which is a bedrock principle of international and US law. It's an argument that is unlikely to succeed and was largely settled as a matter of law in Noriega's trial, legal experts said. Although Trump's ordering of the operation in Venezuela raises constitutional concerns because it wasn't authorised by Congress, now that Maduro is in the US, courts will likely bless his prosecution because, like Noriega, the US doesn't recognise him as Venezuela's .

Venezuela crisis a 'matter of deep concern', says India after US action

India said the situation in Venezuela is a matter of deep concern and called on all sides to resolve issues peacefully through dialogue after the US captured President Nicolás Maduro

How cocaine, corruption led to indictment of Venezuelan President Maduro

A newly unsealed US Justice Department indictment accuses captured Venezuelan President Nicols Maduro of running a corrupt, illegitimate government fuelled by an extensive drug-trafficking operation that flooded the US with thousands of tons of cocaine. The arrest of Maduro and his wife in a stunning military operation early Saturday in Venezuela sets the stage for a major test for US prosecutors as they seek to secure a conviction in a Manhattan courtroom against the longtime leader of the oil-rich South American nation. Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a post on X that Maduro and his wife will soon face the full wrath of American justice on American soil in American courts. Here's a look at the accusations against Maduro and the charges he faces. Maduro faces drugs and weapons charges --------------------------------------------- Maduro is charged alongside his wife, his son and three others. Maduro is indicted on four counts: narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation .

Captured Maduro made to perp-walk in custody, he says 'Happy New Year'

The US government releases a video of Venezuela's detained President Nicolas Maduro in handcuffs, as he is moved to New York to face charges

This is about oil, not drugs: Kamala Harris slams Trump over Maduro capture

Harris said Trump's actions in Venezuela would not make the United States safer and warned that forced regime change could destabilise the region, putting American lives at risk

Who is Delcy Rodríguez, Venezuela's acting leader after Maduro's capture?

A long-time chavista, technocrat and trusted Maduro loyalist, Delcy Rodríguez has assumed Venezuela's presidential duties amid deep uncertainty after a US military operation

Maduro's capture disrupts Caribbean travel as hundreds of flights cancelled

The US military operation that captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and flew him out of the country early Saturday has also disrupted Caribbean travel at a busy travel time for the region. No airline flights were crossing over Venezuela on Saturday, according to FlightRadar24.com. And major airlines cancelled hundreds of flights across the eastern Caribbean region and warned passengers that the disruptions could continue for days after the Federal Aviation Administration imposed restrictions. Flights to Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Aruba and other destinations near Venezuela were cancelled. The airlines are waiving change fees for passengers who have to reschedule their flights this weekend. The FAA had earlier said it imposed a temporary airspace restriction on Puerto Rico's international airport and surrounding regions. An announcement by Luis Muoz Marn International Airport in San Juan posted on the social media site X said restrictions were put in place because of t

US oil firms to invest billions in Venezuela: Trump after Maduro's capture

While addressing a press conference in Florida, Trump said the United States was in the "oil selling" business and would provide it to other countries interested in buying

Nicolas Maduro, his wife land in New York after US military capture

Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were captured in Caracas and flown out of the country in a joint operation involving intelligence agencies and US law enforcement

Maduro open to US talks on drug trafficking, but silent on CIA strike

Venezuela is open to negotiating an agreement with the United States to combat drug trafficking, the South American country's President Nicols Maduro said in a pretaped interview aired Thursday on state television, but he declined to comment on a CIA-led strike last week at a Venezuelan docking area that the Trump administration believed was used by cartels. Maduro, in an interview with Spanish journalist Ignacio Ramonet, reiterated that the U.S. wants to force a government change in Venezuela and gain access to its vast oil reserves through the monthslong pressure campaign that began with a massive military deployment to the Caribbean Sea in August. What are they seeking? It is clear that they seek to impose themselves through threats, intimidation and force, Maduro said, later adding that it is time for both nations to start talking seriously, with data in hand. The U.S. government knows, because we've told many of their spokespeople, that if they want to seriously discuss an ...

Tanker seizure just the start of Trump's pressure campaign on Venezuela

The seizure spooked oil markets and comes after President Donald Trump ordered a massive US military build-up in the region that has raised fears of outright conflict

US has seized a large oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela, says Trump

President Donald Trump on Wednesday said that the United States has seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela amid mounting tensions with the government of Venezuelan President Nicols Maduro. It is the Trump administration's latest push to increase pressure on Maduro, who has been charged with narco-terrorism in the United States. "We've just seized a tanker on the coast of Venezuela -- a large tanker, very large, largest one ever seized, actually," Trump told reporters at the White House. Trump said "other things are happening," but did not offer additional details, saying he would speak more about it later. The seizure was carried led by the US Coast Guard led effort and supported by the Navy, according to a US official who was not authorised to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity. A day earlier, the US military flew a pair of fighter jets over the Gulf of Venezuela in what appeared to be the closest that warplanes had come to the South American country's

Why Trump is hinting at strikes inside Venezuela: All you need to know

Donald Trump has hinted that the US may strike inside Venezuela after attacks on suspected drug boats, raising tensions with President Maduro as both sides trade accusations

US warship docks in Trinidad and Tobago to increase pressure on Venezuela

A US warship has docked in Trinidad and Tobago's capital as the Trump administration boosts military pressure on neighbouring Venezuela and its President Nicols Maduro. The arrival of the USS Gravely, a guided missile destroyer, in the capital of the Caribbean nation is in addition to the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford, which is moving closer to Venezuela. Maduro criticised the movement of the carrier as an attempt by the US government to fabricate "a new eternal war against his country. US President Donald Trump has accused Maduro, without providing evidence, of being the leader of the organised crime gang Tren de Aragua. Government officials from the twin-island nation and the US said the massive warship will remain in Trinidad until Thursday so both countries can carry out training exercises. A senior military official in Trinidad and Tobago told The Associated Press that the move was only recently scheduled. The official spoke under condition of anonymity due to lack of ..

Venezuela mobilises troops, militia amid US military buildup in Caribbean

President Nicolás Maduro positioned forces along the Caribbean coast and called up civilian militias as tensions rise over Washington's escalating operations in the region

Venezuela shuts embassy in Norway after Machado wins Nobel Peace Prize

The Nobel Peace Prize is awarded by an independent committee appointed by Norway's parliament, which is not related to the Executive's foreign affairs policy

Nobel winner vilified by Maduro vows to continue her fight for Venezuela

Machado's prize is unlikely to help improve the circumstances for her supporters and opposition leaders, whose ranks have thinned under a brutal crackdown that's sent many to jail or into exile

Maduro vows to declare 'republic in arms' if US forces attack Venezuela

Venezuelan President Nicols Maduro on Monday said he would constitutionally declare a republic in arms if the South American country were attacked by forces that the United States government has deployed to the Caribbean. His comments during a news conference come as the US government this week is set to boost its maritime force in the waters off Venezuela to combat threats from Latin American drug cartels. The US has not signalled any planned land incursion by the thousands of personnel being deployed. Still, Maduro's government has responded by deploying troops along its coast and border with neighbouring Colombia, as well as by urging Venezuelans to enlist in a civilian militia. In the face of this maximum military pressure, we have declared maximum preparedness for the defence of Venezuela, Maduro said of the deployment, which he characterised as an extravagant, unjustifiable, immoral and absolutely criminal and bloody threat. The US Navy now has two Aegis guided-missile ...

US poised to order more companies to cease operations in Venezuela

Stopping the companies from working in Venezuela will be a blow to the nation's beleaguered economy, putting pressure on Maduro as Trump pushes for a deal over democratic reforms

Maduro opponents rally to revive protests over disputed Venezuelan election

Opponents of Venezuelan President Nicols Maduro took to the streets Wednesday in an attempt to revive protests against him as he tightens his grip on power following last month's disputed election. The demonstration in the capital, Caracas, comes exactly a month after the fraught July 28 vote in which Maduro was declared the winner despite strong evidence that opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzlez won by a nearly 2-to-1 margin, which drew international condemnation that the vote lacked transparency. In weeks of on-again, off-again demonstrations, the opposition's rallying cry has been constant but so far ineffective. Opponents have demanded that officials publish results from each polling station that they say would expose Maduro's attempts to steal the election. Voting records kill sentence, is how the opposition billed the latest protest, referring to the thousands of tally sheets it collected and posted online that contradict a recent sentence written by the loyalist Supreme Court