Deposed Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife appeared in a federal court in New York City on Monday, following their capture by U.S. forces over the weekend in a military operation in the Venezuelan capital of Caracas.
Following the operation, President Donald Trump said that the U.S. would "run" Venezuela for an unspecified "period of time."
Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez has been sworn in as interim leader to lead the country after what the Venezuelan Supreme Court described as Maduro's "kidnapping."
CIA had team in Venezuela monitoring Maduro since August: Source
A source familiar with the operation told ABC News that the CIA "had a small team clandestinely on the ground starting in August that was able to provide extraordinary insight into Maduro’s pattern of life that made grabbing him seamless."
In this July 9 2019, file photo Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez (2nd R) and Venezuelan First Lady Cilia Flores (R) are seen at the Miraflores Palace in Caracas, Venezuela.
Anadolu Agency via Getty Images, FILE
CIA Director Ratcliffe, along with Stephen Miller, Rubio and Hegseth, "formed a core team working this issue for months with consistent meetings and phone calls, sometimes even daily … often meeting both with the president and separately," according to the source.
-ABC News' Cindy Smith
Jan 03, 2026, 11:08 AM EST
Venezuela opposition leader celebrates ‘hour of freedom’
Venezuela opposition leader Maria Corina Machado issued a statement on Saturday, calling on all Venezuelans to "be ready to mobilize what we will soon communicate to you through our official channels."
She called on the military to recognize opposition leader Edmundo González Urrutia, who ran against Maduro in the last election, as the rightful president of Venezuela.
"Venezuelans, the hour of freedom has arrived," she wrote. "As of today, Nicolás Maduro, will face international justice for the atrocious crimes committed against Venezuelans and against citizens of many other nations. Due to his refusal to accept a negotiated exit, the government of the United States has fulfilled its promise to uphold the rule of law."
Machado continued, "Today we are ready to take over power. We remain vigilant, active, and organized until a democratic transition is concrete. A transition that needs ALL of us."
Machado also called on Venezuelans abroad to mobilize and help build "the new Venezuela."
-ABC News' Victoria Moll Ramirez
Jan 03, 2026, 10:52 AM EST
Kaine calls for Senate to take up his war powers resolution
Sen. Tim Kaine, one of the Senate's most vocal advocates for Congressional war authorizations, issued a scathing statement of President Trump's actions in Venezuela and called for Congress to take up his resolution that would block the use of the U.S. Armed Forces to engage in hostilities within or against Venezuela unless authorized by Congress.
Members of Cuadrantes De La Paz patrol the surroundings of the Port of La Guaira after explosions and low-flying aircraft were heard on Jan. 3, 2026, in Caracas, Venezuela.
Jesus Vargas/Getty Images
"Where will this go next? Will the President deploy our troops to protect Iranian protesters? To enforce the fragile ceasefire in Gaza? To battle terrorists in Nigeria? To seize Greenland or the Panama Canal? To suppress Americans peacefully assembling to protest his policies? Trump has threatened to do all this and more and sees no need to seek legal authorization from people’s elected legislature before putting servicemembers at risk," the Virginia Democrat said in his statement.
Sen. Tom Cotton, chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said during an appearance on Fox News Saturday morning that he spoke with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who confirmed there were personnel wounded -- but not killed -- during the operation in Venezuela.
"This operation was executed almost flawlessly. I spoke with Secretary Rubio this morning. He did share that we did have wounded personnel, but no killed, but that is never guaranteed in advance," Cotton said on Fox News.
"You never know how a mission is going to be carried out. So I really commend President Trump for having the nerve to go forward with this and the operational security surrounding the mission for the days when they were waiting for good weather and it didn't leak out, it didn't therefore ruin the mission," he added
A destroyed anti-aircraft unit at La Carlota military air base, after U.S. President Donald Trump said the U.S. has struck Venezuela and captured its President Nicolas Maduro, in Caracas, Venezuela, Jan. 3, 2026.
Leonardo Fernandez Viloria/Reuters
Cotton said members of Congress were not briefed ahead of action.
"Not in advance, and that's probably the reason it didn't leak over these four days as they were waiting for the right weather," Cotton said.
"Congress doesn't need to be notified every time the executive branch is making an arrest. And that's exactly what happened this morning in Venezuela, and now Maduro is going to come to the United States, and he's going to face justice," Cotton continued.
