U.S. Defends Capture of Maduro as Law Enforcement Action Against “Narco-Terrorist”
New York, January 5, 2026 – The United States forcefully defended its military operation that captured Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, telling the UN Security Council the action was a “surgical law enforcement” mission against an indicted fugitive and “narco-terrorist,” not an act of war.
U.S. Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz, addressing the Council on Monday, stated that Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were now in U.S. custody and would stand trial on serious criminal charges. He framed the weekend operation as the lawful apprehension of a criminal responsible for attacks on the American people and destabilization across the Western Hemisphere.
“This was a law enforcement operation in furtherance of lawful indictments that have existed for decades,” Waltz said, drawing a parallel to the 1989 U.S. operation in Panama that arrested leader Manuel Noriega. “The United States arrested a narcotrafficker who is now going to stand trial in the United States in accordance with the rule of law.”
The ambassador rejected any notion that Maduro was a legitimate head of state entitled to diplomatic immunity, citing a disputed 2024 election. “Maduro is not just an indicted drug trafficker; he was an illegitimate so-called president,” Waltz asserted, noting that over 50 countries did not recognize his re-election.
The U.S. indictment, from the Southern District of New York, charges Maduro with leading a conspiracy to conduct narcoterrorism, traffic cocaine, and engage in international weapons trafficking. Waltz accused the Maduro regime of partnering with violent criminal organizations like the Tren de Aragua—designated a Foreign Terrorist Organization by the U.S.—and malign actors including Hezbollah and Iran to flood the U.S. with drugs.
“He has become rich, incredibly wealthy, off the misery of untold numbers of Americans, Venezuelans, and others,” Waltz said.
The statement also highlighted the humanitarian toll of Maduro’s rule, referencing UN reports on serious human rights abuses and the flight of over 8 million Venezuelans, creating the world’s largest refugee crisis.
Ambassador Waltz concluded by stating that President Trump had offered Maduro “multiple off ramps” through diplomacy, but that the narco-terrorism continued. “The United States will not waver in our actions to protect Americans from the scourge of narcoterrorism,” he said, framing the operation as a step toward “peace, liberty and justice for the great people of Venezuela.”
The U.S. action is expected to face significant criticism from several members of the Security Council who view it as a violation of international law and national sovereignty.
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