A member of the National Guard stands guard at Fuerte Tiuna, Venezuela’s largest military complex, in Caracas on January 3, 2026, after US forces captured Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro after launching a “large scale strike” on the South American country. 3pm SAST: Reports say deposed Venezuelan leader Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, will face charges after an indictment, according to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi.
In a statement released on Saturday, Bondi said: “Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, have been indicted in the Southern District of New York. Nicolas Maduro has been charged with Narco-Terrorism Conspiracy, Cocaine Importation Conspiracy, Possession of Machineguns and Destructive Devices, and Conspiracy to Possess Machineguns and Destructive Devices against the United States. “They will soon face the full wrath of American justice on American soil in American courts.
On behalf of the entire US DOJ, I would like to thank President Trump for having the courage to demand accountability on behalf of the American People, and a huge thank you to our brave military who conducted the incredible and highly successful mission to capture these two alleged international narco traffickers. Venezuela’s largest military complex went up in flames after a series of explosions in Caracas on January 3. 2pm (SA time): Russia on Saturday demanded “immediate” clarification about the circumstances of the reported US abduction of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro during an attack ordered by President Donald Trump.
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View of a destroyed truck at La Carlota air base in Caracas on Jaunary 3, 2026. President Donald Trump said Saturday that US forces had captured Venezuela’s leader Nicolas Maduro after bombing the capital Caracas and other cities in a dramatic climax to a months-long standoff between Trump and his Venezuelan arch-foe. View of a destroyed bus at La Carlota air base in Caracas on January 3, 2026.
“We are extremely alarmed by reports that Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife were forcibly removed from the country as a result of today’s US aggression. We call for an immediate clarification of the situation,” the Russian foreign ministry said in a statement. Russia condemned the US military action in Venezuela on Saturday, saying there was no tenable justification for the attack and that “ideological hostility” had prevailed over diplomacy.
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