From the Liveblog of
Monday, January 5, 2026
Maduro en route to New York court for 1st hearing since he was seized in US operation
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Venezuela’s deposed leader Nicolas Maduro is en route to a New York courthouse to face drug charges, as the UN is set to scrutinize the legality of US President Donald Trump’s extraordinary operation to capture him.
Footage shows the motorcade and helicopter transporting Maduro to the court, apparently alongside his wife Cilia Flores.
In the biggest US intervention in Latin America since the 1989 invasion of Panama, special forces swooped into Caracas on helicopters over the weekend to smash through Maduro’s security cordon and nab him at the door of a safe room.
Senior officials from his 13-year-old government remain in charge of the South American oil producer of 30 million people, first spitting defiance then pivoting to possible cooperation.
Yesterday, interim leader Delcy Rodriguez, in a potential win for Washington, stepped back from her initial defiance by offering to work with Trump.
“We extend an invitation to the US government to work together on an agenda for cooperation,” the former vice president said, hours after claiming that the operation to seize Maduro had a “Zionist tint.”
The UN Security Council will hold an emergency session later today at Venezuela’s request.
The Times of Israel Community.