Nicolás Maduro, the Venezuelan president, was captured by US troops and flown to New York, where he is now being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn. He arrived at Stewart Air National Guard Base in Newburgh, New York, on Saturday evening, escorted by FBI agents, and was later taken by helicopter to Manhattan.
President Donald Trump announced that the United States would temporarily take over the running of Venezuela. "We're going to run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition," he said during a press conference. Trump also stated that the US would be "very strongly involved" in Venezuela's oil industry.
Venezuela's supreme court has ordered Vice-President Delcy Rodríguez to assume the role of acting president in Maduro's absence. The United Nations secretary general, António Guterres, expressed deep alarm at the US military action, calling it a "dangerous precedent". The UN Security Council is due to hold an emergency meeting on Monday.
At least 40 people, including civilians and soldiers, were killed in Saturday's attack, according to a senior Venezuelan official. In Florida, hundreds of Venezuelans gathered in Doral to celebrate Maduro's capture, waving flags and chanting "liberty". David Nuñez, who fled Venezuela six years ago, told the Associated Press he hopes to reunite with his daughters soon.
