Month: January 2026

Ouster Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro is scheduled to be arraigned Monday in Manhattan federal court following a dramatic U.S. operation that resulted in his capture and transfer to the United States, according to a spokesperson for the U.S. District Court in the Southern District of New York.  Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, are being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn as they prepare to face a sweeping federal indictment accusing them of leading a decades-long narco-terrorism operation.

A federal indictment unsealed Saturday accuses Maduro of being “at the forefront” of a narco-terrorism conspiracy that allegedly imported massive quantities of cocaine into the United States over roughly 25 years. Prosecutors say the scheme relied on cooperation with gangs designated as terrorist organizations and enriched Maduro, members of his inner circle, and his family. The indictment names Flores and Maduro’s son among six defendants charged with narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy, and weapons offenses. Attorney General Pam Bondi said Maduro and Flores “will soon face the full wrath of American justice on American soil in American courts,” citing charges that have been pending in New York for years and that Maduro has repeatedly denied.

As previously reported, Trump announced on Saturday that the United States had “successfully carried out a large scale strike against Venezuela,” adding that Maduro and his wife were “captured and flown out of the Country.” The announcement came hours after explosions were reported in Caracas, with images circulating online showing smoke plumes and a large fireball lighting up the night sky.  U.S. officials say the operation was carried out by the Army’s elite Delta Force, following months of military positioning in the region that included the deployment of the USS Gerald R. Ford and other naval assets to the Caribbean. The mission reportedly followed intelligence gathered by the CIA, which had a covert team on the ground tracking Maduro’s movements.

Trump said during a press conference at Mar-a-Lago that the U.S. would temporarily oversee Venezuela during a transition period, stating the country would be “run” for an unspecified time while oil production is restored. He said American officials would work alongside local teams because there was “nobody to take over. We’ll run it properly. We’ll run it professionally. We’ll have the greatest oil companies in the world go in and invest billions and billions of dollars and take out money, use that money in Venezuela, and the biggest beneficiary are going to be the people of Venezuela.”  Trump also suggested U.S. troops could remain involved, saying, “We’re not afraid of boots on the ground,” and warned that a second, larger wave of attacks could follow if necessary.

Trump later said that U.S. forces breached reinforced structures in seconds and prevented Maduro from reaching a fortified safe area. Trump said Maduro attempted to flee but was quickly overtaken, claiming he had previously offered the Venezuelan leader chances to surrender. According to Trump, the military even built a replica of Maduro’s residence to rehearse the mission. Maduro was flown by helicopter to the USS Iwo Jima before being transported to New York.

Following Maduro’s removal, Venezuela’s military announced it recognizes Vice President Delcy Rodríguez as acting president. Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López said the move followed a Supreme Court ruling appointing Rodríguez to lead the country for 90 days. Rodríguez, who has served as vice president since 2018, has overseen much of Venezuela’s oil sector and intelligence apparatus.

The arrest follows the Trump administration’s unprecedented move last November to designate Maduro as the leader of a foreign terrorist organization, placing him on the same list as groups such as al-Qaeda. Maduro has faced U.S. narcotics-related charges since 2020, when prosecutors accused him and allied officials of running a criminal enterprise that used state resources to fuel the international drug trade. Prosecutors allege the operation was designed to flood the United States with cocaine and undermine public health.

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Swiss authorities have now confirmed the identities of 24 people who died in a devastating fire at a New Year’s Eve celebration in the Alpine resort of Crans-Montana, as families continue to wait anxiously for news of the remaining victims. The process of identifying the dead has been slow, with authorities stating that the severity of the burns has made visual identification impossible in many cases, requiring DNA analysis.

Police in Valais canton announced that 16 additional victims were identified over the weekend, many of them teenagers. Among the newly confirmed dead are four teenaged Swiss girls, including the youngest victim so far, a 14-year-old. Six Swiss males aged 16 to 31 were also among those identified.

The victims further include two Italian teenagers aged 16, a 16-year-old with Italian-Emirati citizenship, an 18-year-old Romanian, an 18-year-old Turkish national, and a 39-year-old French citizen, the oldest victim identified to date. With these confirmations, fewer than half of the 40 people who died in the blaze remain unidentified.

Hundreds of mourners gathered Sunday for a Mass at the Chapelle Saint-Christophe in Crans-Montana. Bishop Jean-Marie Lovey told those attending that support had poured in from around the world that “Countless people join us — people whose hearts are broken. Many expressions of sympathy and solidarity reach us. Pope Leo XIV joins in our sorrow. In a moving message, he expresses his compassion and his care for the victims’ families and strengthens the courage of all who are suffering.”

The fire broke out around 1:30 a.m. Thursday at the Le Constellation bar, where hundreds had gathered to ring in the New Year. Investigators believe the blaze started when sparkler-style “fountain candles” placed on Champagne bottles were raised too close to the ceiling. The ceiling’s soundproofing material is thought to have ignited, allowing flames to spread rapidly through the crowded venue. Video footage from inside the bar shows panic as some patrons tried to put out the fire while others fled.

In addition to the fatalities, 119 people were injured, many with severe burns. Dozens were transferred to specialist burn units across Europe, including hospitals in France, Germany, Italy and Belgium. French Health Minister Stéphanie Rist said 17 patients have been treated in France alone.

A criminal investigation has been opened into the bar’s two managers. Prosecutors are examining potential charges including negligent homicide, negligent bodily harm and causing a fire through negligence. Investigators are reviewing whether the ceiling materials met safety regulations, whether the use of sparklers was permitted, and what fire safety measures — including extinguishers and emergency exits — were in place.

The tragedy has shaken Switzerland and drawn international sympathy. Swiss President Guy Parmelin expressed his “deepest condolences,” saying, “Behind these numbers are faces, names, families, destinies brutally interrupted,” during a press conference. Swiss authorities have declared a national day of mourning on Jan. 9 as identification efforts continue.

Editorial credit: Michal Stipek / Shutterstock.com