US detains Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and Cilia Flores in New York

U.S. officials announced that President Donald Trump said U.S. forces had bombed several civilian and military sites in Venezuela, including the capital Caracas, and had captured and removed President Nicolás Maduro, describing the operation as “successful.”

In practice, Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores are being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York, where they face charges of conspiracy to commit narcoterrorism, import cocaine, possess machine‑guns and other destructive devices, and conspiracy to possess those weapons. Their next court appearance is scheduled for 30 June. Venezuelan citizens have sent more than 5,000 letters—through the “Bring Them Back” movement—expressing solidarity, criticism or hope toward the detained leaders.