US captures Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro: everything you need to know

SCMP | Jan. 5, 2026, 1:26 a.m. | Original
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Venezuela’s captured President Nicolas Maduro poses next to US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) administrator Terry Cole as he is led in custody from a US federal airplane, at Stewart Air National Guard Base in Newburgh, New York, on January 3, 2026. Photo: Handout via Reuters

We have put together stories from our coverage of the US-Venezuela conflict. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider .

The US attack reverses a vow US President Donald Trump made when campaigning for his second term that Washington would stop, not start, wars.

2. China is likely to thread the needle after US attack on Venezuela

A pro-government, armed civilian in Caracas, Venezuela, attends a protest demanding the release of President Nicolas Maduro and first lady Cilia Flores, after US forces captured and flew them to the United States. Photo: AP
A pro-government, armed civilian in Caracas, Venezuela, attends a protest demanding the release of President Nicolas Maduro and first lady Cilia Flores, after US forces captured and flew them to the United States. Photo: AP

China will be patient and play the long game as it views the new geopolitical chessboard, recalibrating carefully in the wake of US President Donald Trump’s move on Saturday to decapitate Venezuela’s leadership, analysts said.

3. ‘Stop subverting Venezuelan regime’: China urges US to release Maduro

China has expressed “serious concern” over the US capture and forcible removal of the Venezuelan leader, calling on Washington to ensure the personal safety of Nicolas Maduro and his wife and “release them immediately”.

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