Maduro jailed in New York after audacious raid and capture – live

Images from news agencies show how Saturday’s dramatic events unfolded in the US.

Some took to the streets to condemn the bombing of Venezuela, with protesters holding signs that said “No blood for oil”, and rallying in locations including Times Square and outside the White House.

Others, however, celebrated.

Crowds waved the Venezuelan flag as they gathered after dark outside the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, where Maduro is now held, celebrating his removal. Some Venezuelans in the US have expressed hope they will be able to return home following his ousting.

A newly unsealed US justice department indictment accuses Nicolás Maduro of running a “corrupt, illegitimate government” fuelled by an extensive drug-trafficking operation that flooded the US with thousands of tons of cocaine.

Here’s a look at the accusations against Maduro and the charges he faces.

Flight restrictions around the Caribbean airspace will expire at 12am ET, allowing flights to resume, the US transportation secretary Sean Duffy said on social media.

“Airlines are informed, and will update their schedules quickly. Please continue to work with your airline if your flight was affected by the restrictions,” he said.

Hundreds of flights were cancelled following the US attack on Venezuela and the capture of Maduro.

United Airlines and Delta are preparing to resume flights to the Caribbean by Sunday.

China urges US to immediately release Maduro

China has called on the US to immediately release Maduro and his wife, saying the situation should be resolved through dialogue and negotiation.

China’s foreign ministry said in a statement the US should ensure the personal safety of Maduro and his wife, adding that their deportation violated international law and norms.

Nicolás Maduro is reported to have arrived at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, according to US media.

He is expected to make an initial appearance in Manhattan federal court on Monday, according to officials.

CBS News reported Maduro arrived at the Metropolitan Detention Center, known as MDC, at about 8:52pm ET on Saturday.

The facility has held several high profile inmates, including rapper Sean “Diddy”, who was held there during his trial, until he was sentenced following his conviction on federal prostitution-related charges.

Sam Bankman-Fried, the founder of now-bankrupt crypto exchange FTX, who was found guilty of fraud charges, was also held at MDC, while Luigi Mangione, who is accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson is also held there.

Hello and welcome to the Guardian’s live coverage of the US attacks on Venezuela and its capture of Nicolás Maduro.

Maduro has now been brought to the Metropolitan Detention Center, a federal facility in Brooklyn, according to US media – more on that in a moment.

Here is a summary of the most significant developments in the past 24 hours:

• A plane believed to have been carrying Nicolás Maduro, and his wife, Cilia Flores, landed in New York on Saturday evening. Maduro was taken to the US Drug Enforcement Administration offices and is now believed to be at the Metropolitan Detention Center.

• A video, posted on social media by the White House’s official rapid response account, appeared to show Maduro handcuffed and escorted by agents at the US Drug Enforcement Administration offices. In the video, Maduro, who is wearing a black hooded top and hat, walks down a hallway with a carpet that says “DEA NYD”. He can be heard saying “Goodnight” and “Happy new year”.


• Donald Trump told a press conference on Saturday “We’re going to run the country [Venezuela] until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition”. He did not give further details.

• The US is going to be “very strongly involved” in Venezuela’s oil industry after the military operation, Trump said. “We have the greatest oil companies in the world, the biggest, the greatest, and we’re going to be very much involved in it.”

• Trump said his administration had not spoken to Venezuela’s exiled opposition leader María Corina Machado. He said he did not think she would be able to return to lead Venezuela, saying: “She does not have the support in Venezuela. She is a very nice woman but she does not have the support.”

• Venezuela’s supreme court has ordered vice president Delcy Rodríguez to assume the role of acting president in Maduro’s absence.

• Asked about Trump’s comment that the US will “run” Venezuela temporarily, US defense secretary Pete Hegseth told CBS News: “President Trump sets the terms … But it means the drugs stop flowing. It means the oil that was taken from us is returned, ultimately, and that criminals are not sent to the United States.”

• The UN security council is due to hold an emergency meeting on Monday.

• The UN secretary general, António Guterres, is deeply alarmed by US military action in Venezuela, his spokesperson has said, and considered the US intervention “a dangerous precedent”.

• The New York Times reported that at least 40 people, including civilians and soldiers, were killed in Saturday’s attack. The estimate came from a senior Venezuelan official who spoke on the condition of anonymity.