Don’t play games: Trump warns global rivals as captured Maduro is jailed in New York on narco-terror charges

Washington/New York: US President Donald Trump on Saturday said the dramatic capture and jailing of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro should serve as a clear warning to America’s adversaries, declaring that the United States would not tolerate threats to its sovereignty or the safety of its citizens.

Calling the operation “extremely successful,” Trump said it underscored Washington’s readiness to act decisively. “This should serve as a warning to anyone who would threaten American sovereignty or endanger American lives,” he said, adding that the US embargo on Venezuelan oil remains in force and that “all military options” are still on the table.

Maduro, once the unchallenged ruler of oil-rich Venezuela, is now being held at the Metropolitan Detention Centre (MDC) in Brooklyn after being captured by US forces in an early-morning raid at the Venezuelan military base Fuerte Tiuna. He and his wife, Cilia Flores, were flown via the USS Iwo Jima to a US air base before being transferred to New York under heavy security.

Footage released by the White House showed Maduro in a brown prison uniform, handcuffed and flanked by DEA officers, as he was taken first to the Drug Enforcement Administration office in Manhattan. Sarcastically addressing the camera, he said, “Good night. Happy New Year,” moments before being jailed.

Attorney General Pam Bondi announced that Maduro and Flores face charges of narco-terrorism, conspiracy to import cocaine, weapons offences and leading the drug organisation Cartel de los Soles. An indictment issued in 2020 had already branded Maduro a fugitive of American justice, with a $50 million bounty once placed on his capture.

Trump accused Maduro of overseeing large-scale drug trafficking and directing violent gangs, including Tren de Aragua, into the United States. “They were sent by Maduro to terrorize our people,” he said, vowing that such threats would no longer be tolerated. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth echoed the warning, saying, “Our adversaries remain on notice. America can project its will anywhere, anytime.”

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Maduro is not recognised as Venezuela’s legitimate president by the US, the European Union or several other governments. He added that Maduro had ignored repeated chances to avoid confrontation.

Trump also used the moment to issue broader warnings, criticising Colombian President Gustavo Petro over alleged drug flows, calling Cuba “a failing nation,” and expressing frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin over the Ukraine war, while reaffirming US support for NATO. (IANS)

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