Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores have been transferred to a boat and will be transported to New York after being arrested by US forces, US President Donald Trump told Fox News.
Trump said that both Maduro and his wife have been arraigned in New York.
Earlier, US Justice Secretary Pam Bondi confirmed on the X network that "Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores have been indicted in the Southern District of New York state".
She specified that Maduro "has been charged with conspiracy to commit narco-terrorism, conspiracy to import cocaine, conspiracy to possess machine guns and destructive devices, and conspiracy to possess machine guns and destructive devices directed against the United States."
She added that "they will soon face the full force of American justice on American soil in American courts."
She later released an unsealed indictment relating to their case. The indictment accuses Maduro of running "a corrupt, illegitimate government that has used government power for decades to protect and promote illegal activities, including drug trafficking."
It alleges that drug trafficking has 'enriched and strengthened the position of Venezuela's political and military elite'.
US authorities allege that Maduro worked with "some of the most violent and prolific drug traffickers and narcoterrorists in the world" to bring tons of cocaine into the US, the indictment says.
Authorities estimate that as much as 250 tons of cocaine was smuggled through Venezuela by 2020. The drugs were transported on fast boats, fishing and container ships, or on planes from secret airports, authorities say.
Trump: I believe no soldiers died
He said the operation in Venezuela was "truly brilliant". It was reportedly delayed for four days due to inclement weather.
Trump said a helicopter was hit during the operation in Venezuela and several US soldiers were injured, but he believes no one was killed.
"A few soldiers were hit, but they came back and should be in pretty good shape," he assessed.
Trump says the U.S. did not lose any aircraft during the operation. "We got everything back. One was hit pretty hard - a helicopter - but we got it back. We had to do it because it's war," he added.
Machado: Maduro rejected agreed departure
Maduro has been removed from power after refusing an agreed exit, Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado said in a statement posted on the X network.
Her opposition colleague Edmundo González Urrutia, who the opposition, the United States and international observers say won the 2024 election, should take over the presidency, Machado said.
At the same time, she added that the opposition will restore order in the country and release political prisoners.
Russia calls for Maduro's release
Russia has called on the United States to release Maduro and his wife, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Saturday.
"In light of confirmed reports that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife are in the United States, we strongly urge the U.S. leadership to reconsider its position and release the lawfully elected president of a sovereign country and his wife," the department's statement said.
(reuters, luc)