Where is Maduro? Who’s running Venezuela? Can Trump do this? Here are 7 issues

An overnight military strike. The arrest of the Venezuelan president. Celebration and concern.

You may have questions about what happened Saturday — and what’s next.

We have some answers, based on our coverage so far:

1. Where is Nicolás Maduro going now?

The president of Venezuela was captured in Caracas and held on a U.S. warship off the coast of the South American country before he was flown to New York to face criminal charges. He was indicted in 2020 on charges related to narco-terrorism conspiracy. His wife, Cilia Flores, also was captured and faces drug charges.

2. Did the military strike on Venezuela affect commercial air travel?

The FAA closed airspace near Venezuela, and airlines canceled dozens of flights to the Eastern Caribbean. Airports in Miami, Fort Lauderdale and Puerto Rico were among those were affected by the emergency order.

3. Who is running Venezuela now?

President Donald Trump says he is committed to U.S. rule of Venezuela for now after the military strike and capture. “We’re gonna be running it with a group and we’re gonna make sure it’s run properly,” Trump said. “We’re going to rebuild the oil infrastructure, which will cost billions of dollars which will be paid for by the oil companies.” Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez described Maduro’s capture as a kidnapping, demanding his release, and said Venezuela would not become “anyone’s colony.”

4. What are world leaders saying about what’s happening?

The attack and capture set off strong reactions from leaders across the world. European Union leaders called for de-escalation and some in Latin America condemned the action. The spokesman for U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres said the U.N. chief is “deeply alarmed by the recent escalation in Venezuela,” which has potential worrisome implications for the region.

5. How are Venezuelans in South Florida taking this?

The news out of Venezuela set off celebrations at a well-known restaurant in Doral, along with feelings of hope for a future democracy and anxiety about the next steps for a country that has faced economic collapse and exile.

6. What will happen to Venezuela’s oil?

President Trump said he has a plan for the United States to have a central role in the development of Venezuela’s oil sector. Trump said he will be “designating” U.S. officials to work along Venezuelans to “rebuild the oil infrastructure,” an effort where “wealth is going to the people of Venezuela and people from outside of Venezuela that used to be in Venezuela, and it goes also to the United States of America in the form of reimbursement for the damages caused us by that country.”

7. Did Trump have a right to order the raid?

The question on whether the U.S. president could do this is up for interpretation. The military actions were carried out to “protect and defend those executing the arrest warrant, said Republican Sen. Mike Lee after conferring with Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Lee said the action is consistent with the President’s constitutional authority to “protect U.S. personnel from imminent attacks,” even though Congress retains the power to declare war. Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine said: “President Trump’s unauthorized military attack on Venezuela to arrest Maduro — however terrible he is — is a sickening return to a day when the United States asserted the right to dominate the internal political affairs of all nations in the Western Hemisphere.”

This story was originally published January 3, 2026 at 4:33 PM.