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Key moments in the US arrest of and case against Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro

After apparent months of planning, the U.S. strike that resulted in the arrest of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro unfolded swiftly over the weekend, with American forces converging on Caracas to arrest Maduro and his wife.

In subsequent days, Maduro would be spirited from a U.S. warship to a plane and ultimately a downtown Manhattan courthouse, where he would enter a not guilty plea on narco-terrorism charges.

Trump and U.S. military leaders gave details of the operation, and Venezuelan officials spoke out against it. Global leaders considered the situation in venues including the United Nations, and Venezuelans living in the U.S. celebrated the news of Maduro’s capture.

This is how the operation unfolded:

Jan. 2, 2026

10:46 p.m. EST: Trump gives go-ahead for U.S. strikes in Venezuela.

Jan. 3, 2026

1:01 a.m. EST: U.S. forces arrive at Maduro compound in Caracas, the capital of Venezuela.

3:29 a.m. EST: U.S. forces are “over the water” — meaning beyond the coastline — on their way from Venezuela back to American ships stationed in the Caribbean Sea.

4:21 a.m. EST: Trump announces on Truth Social that the U.S. has carried out a “large scale strike” against Venezuela and captured Maduro. The U.S. president says he will hold a news conference at 11 a.m. EST.

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Venezuela’s Vice President Delcy Rodríguez said, “We do not know the whereabouts of President Nicolás Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores.”

She added, “We demand proof of life.” ————————- U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said Maduro and his wife will face criminal charges after an indictment in New York, vowing in a social media post that the couple will “soon face the full wrath of American justice on American soil in American courts.” —————————— In South Florida, Venezuelans celebrated the news of Maduro’s capture at a rally held outside a South American eatery. —————— Trump told Fox News that the couple were aboard the U.S. warship Iwo Jima and headed to New York, where they would face prosecution. ————————— The Justice Department released a new indictment accusing Maduro and his wife for their alleged roles in a narco-terrorism conspiracy. ———————— Trump posted a photo on social media showing Maduro wearing a sweatsuit and a blindfold with the caption “Nicolas Maduro on board the USS Iwo Jima.” —————————- Accompanying Trump at a press conference — which got underway nearly 40 minutes after its scheduled 11 a.m. EST start time — were Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, CIA Director John Ratcliffe and Stephen Miller, a top White House aide overseeing homeland security matters. ——————— Trump said the U.S. was “ going to run” Venezuela until a “judicious” transition of power. At that moment, there were no visible signs the U.S. was controlling the country. ———————— In a televised address to the nation lasting less than 15 minutes, Rodríguez left open the door for dialogue with the U.S. while also seeking to calm ruling party supporters.

“Here, we have a government with clarity, and I repeat and repeat again … we are willing to have respectful relations,” she said, referring to the Trump administration. “It is the only thing we will accept for a type of relationship after having attacked (Venezuela).”

Venezuela’s high court ordered Rodriguez to assume the role of interim president, and the leader was backed by Venezuela’s military. ——————- A plane carrying Maduro arrived in New York following his capture by the U.S., an AP source said.

Jan. 4, 2026

In a statement read on Cuban state TV, the Cuban government announced that the American military strikes in Venezuela had killed 32 Cuban military and police officers who had been on a mission at the request of Venezuela’s government.

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In comments aboard Air Force One flying from Florida to Washington, Trump said Venezuela was sick and needed U.S. support, adding: “Colombia’s very sick, too. Run by a sick man who likes making cocaine and selling it to the United States. And he’s not going to be doing it very long.”

Asked if that might mean a U.S. operation that could target Colombia President Gustavo Petro, Trump responded, “Sounds good to me.”

Saying he had repeatedly offered U.S. troops to Mexico, which he said “has to get their act together” on drug trafficking, Trump said President Claudia Sheinbaum is “concerned, she’s a little afraid.”

Questioned about U.S. military force in Cuba, however, Trump said: “I think it’s just going to fall. … I don’t think we need any action.”

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Jan. 5, 2026

Maduro arrives at the federal courthouse in New York City. ————— The U.N. Security Council held an emergency meeting, where both allies and adversaries of the United States voiced opposition to the U.S. raid.

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Maduro’s son appeared in Venezuela’s National Assembly, where the country’s lawmakers elected in parliamentary elections last May were set to be sworn in. Maduro Guerra, also known as “Nicolásito,” demanded that his parents be returned by American authorities and called on international support.

———————— Maduro made his first appearance in a U.S. courtroom following his capture. —————————- Maduro pleaded not guilty in a U.S. court, telling a judge, “I am a decent man, the president of my country.”

Maduro’s next court date is set for March 17.

Grandfather recovering from surgery after bison attack at Yellowstone sent him flying

By WTOP Staff
(CNN) — What started as a yearly trip for a grandfather and his grandson turned into a visit to a Montana hospital after a bison attack at Yellowstone National Park.Carl McDaniel, 65, was hospitalized with a broken femur after a bison charged and tossed him into the air Friday evening at the park’s Bridge Bay Campground, according to McDaniel and the National Park Service.He was visiting the park with his 13-year-old grandson when they decided to take a walk after dinner.Along the way, they encountered a large bison that appeared to be rolling around in the dust and was not bothering anyone, McDaniel told CNN.“We were about a hundred yards away,” McDaniel said. “He was not aggressive; he was not having problems and we took some pictures and decided to walk on.”McDaniel and his grandson snapped a quick photo and continued with their walk, video of the encounter shows. At the same time, a truck drove by, and the driver laid on his horn in what appeared to be an attempt to get the bison to move, McDaniel said. There is no audio on the video.The bison then appeared to become agitated and began running toward the pair.“There was little time to decide what to do. At that point, he was within 100 yards; he could be to us in seconds, so I told my grandson to run in one direction and I went the other to try and draw him away,” McDaniel said.The animal then pushed McDaniel with the top of its head, sending him flying into the air before he hit the ground, the grandfather said.“When I was on the ground immobile, unable to move, he was right on top of me. He could have stomped on me, he could have gored me, he could have done almost anything to take my life, and he did not do so,” McDaniel said.After McDaniel hit the ground, photographer Mike MacLeod, who captured the encounter on video, had to step in, he told Cowboy State Daily.“I was really afraid he was going to gore the guy on the ground, so I stopped videotaping and ran at the bison, yelled loud, and was trying to be as big and intimidating as possible,” MacLeod said.After the bison took off, people rushed over to McDaniel, who was in a lot of pain, MacLeod told Cowboy State Daily. Yellowstone EMS arrived soon after, he said.“Park emergency medical personnel responded and transported him to a nearby hospital,” the National Park Service said in confirming the incident in a statement to CNN.This is the second bison attack at Yellowstone this year. A 12-year-old was injured near Mud Volcano on June 26, according to the agency.After Friday’s attack, “all the people that were there were amazing; they were all positive, they were trying to help as best they could,” McDaniel said. A nurse started tending to his leg, while another bystander held his head.He was then transferred to a hospital in Bozeman, a two-hour journey during which he was in intense pain. He said he was grateful for the paramedic who helped him along the way.McDaniel broke his femur, the body’s strongest bone, in four places near his hip and suffered several bruises. He had surgery Sunday and could stand by Monday.“I will be doing physical therapy for the next few days to get to walk, but it was not as catastrophic as it could have been,” McDaniel said.The National Park Service advises visitors to stay at least 25 yards away from bison at all times and to never approach the animals. “If the bison follows you, spray bear spray as you are moving away, and seek cover behind nearby trees or cars,” the agency said.Correction: An earlier version of this story understated how far visitors should stay away from bison. The National Park Service advises visitors to stay at least 25 yards from them.The-CNN-Wire™ & © 2026 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.
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