TopA News — Venezuela in Turmoil After Reported Capture of President Nicolás Maduro

Venezuela plunged into political uncertainty this weekend after international reporting said U.S. forces seized President Nicolás Maduro during an overnight operation in Caracas and moved him to the United States, where he is now being held in federal custody.

U.S. President Donald Trump publicly claimed responsibility for the operation, calling it a capture mission and signaling that Washington intends to take a direct role in steering what it described as a “transition” period. The announcement triggered immediate shock inside Venezuela, where senior figures in Maduro’s government denounced the move as a “kidnapping” and demanded his return.

By Sunday, Venezuela’s Supreme Court issued an order directing Vice President Delcy Rodríguez to assume the role of acting president, saying the state needed “administrative continuity” while Maduro is forcibly absent. The ruling set off a new legal and political fight in Caracas over who controls the government, the security forces, and the country’s key institutions during the crisis.

In the U.S., Maduro is reported to be held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, a federal jail used for high-profile detainees. He is expected to make an initial appearance in federal court in Manhattan as early as Monday, with proceedings tied to long-running U.S. criminal allegations related to drug trafficking and other charges.

On the ground in Caracas, residents described a tense, watchful calm—quiet streets in some areas, nervous conversations in others, and widespread uncertainty about what happens next. Outside Venezuela, governments across the region and beyond reacted with alarm, raising urgent questions about sovereignty, international law, and what the operation could mean for stability in the Americas.

Adding to the confusion, social media has been flooded with viral clips and dramatic claims—some real, many recycled or mislabeled—making it harder for ordinary people to separate verified updates from misinformation as events continue to move fast.

What to watch next

• The Monday court appearance and what prosecutors formally allege

• Whether Caracas’ institutions hold together under acting leadership

• International pressure for negotiations, sanctions, or emergency diplomacy

• Public reaction inside Venezuela as the week begins