One of three helicopters believed to be carrying Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores leaves after they were captured overnight in Venezuela by U.S. forces, at Stewart Air National Guard Base in Newburgh, New York, U.S. on January 3, 2026.
| Photo Credit: Reuters
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has said he spoke with President Donald Trump “directly” to register his opposition to the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife by the U.S. military, as he termed the unilateral attack on a sovereign nation an “act of war”.
Mr. Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores have been indicted in the Southern District of New York and are being brought to the city to face the charges against them.
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Responding to a question on the situation in Venezuela and Mr. Maduro’s capture at a press conference, Mr. Mamdani said he “called the president and spoke with him directly to register my opposition to this act”.
“I registered my opposition. I made it clear and we left it at that,” Mr. Mamdani said, giving no details of what Mr. Trump’s response to him was.
The extraordinary international development has come just two days after Mr. Mamdani was sworn-in as New York City Mayor.
Mr. Mamdani was briefed Saturday (January 3) morning by his administration officials, including his chief of staff and the police commissioner, on the U.S. military capture of the Venezuelan president and his wife, as well as their planned imprisonment in federal custody in New York City.
Mr. Mamdani said the “blatant pursuit of regime change” impacts New Yorkers, including Venezuelans who live in the city.
“Unilaterally attacking a sovereign nation is an act of war and a violation of federal and international law,” the newly sworn-in mayor said in a statement.
“This blatant pursuit of regime change doesn’t just affect those abroad, it directly impacts New Yorkers, including tens of thousands of Venezuelans who call this city home. My focus is their safety and the safety of every New Yorker, and my administration will continue to monitor the situation and issue relevant guidance,” Mamdani said.
U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi said in a post on X that Mr. Maduro and Ms. Flores have been indicted in the Southern District of New York.
Mr. Maduro has been charged with narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy, possession of machine guns and destructive devices and conspiracy to possess machine guns and destructive devices against the U.S..
“They will soon face the full wrath of American justice on American soil in American courts,” Ms. Bondi said, as she thanked Mr. 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”.
Meanwhile, Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi, a senior member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, said while Mr. Maduro is an “illegitimate dictator” who has inflicted immense suffering on the Venezuelan people, that reality does not give any president a blank check to use military force without Congress authorisation.
“By acting without congressional authorisation and publicly asserting US control over another sovereign nation, President Trump is abusing presidential power and undermining the Constitution’s separation of powers,” Mr. Krishnamoorthi said.
He said the Trump Administration must immediately account for the safety of U.S. personnel, disclose whether there were any casualties and fully and immediately brief Congress.
“The president has now stated that the United States will run Venezuela, committing the country to open-ended responsibility. Neither the American people nor Congress approved that course. This use of force and claimed control erode the rule of law, embolden Moscow and Beijing to push boundaries elsewhere, weaken America’s credibility, and ultimately make Americans less safe,” Mr. Krishnamoorthi said.
Published – January 04, 2026 05:19 am IST
