Hours after US President Donald Trump confirmed that Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, had been captured and flown out of the country, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio questioned Maduro’s legitimacy. Rubio described his rule as illegal and linked him to narco-terrorism.
"Maduro is not the President of Venezuela and his regime is not the legitimate government. Maduro is the head of the Cartel de Los Soles, a narco-terror organisation which has taken possession of a country. And he is under indictment for pushing drugs into the United States," the post on X read.
Meanwhile, US Attorney General Pam Bondi has said Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, will face criminal charges after an indictment in New York. In a post on X, Bondi said that the couple will "soon face the full wrath of American justice on American soil in American courts."
A picture of Maduro being captured by US soldiers is going viral on social media. In the viral photo, US soldiers could be seen holding the Venezuelan President. Meanwhile, a military chopper could also be seen. The exact location where Maduro and his wife were taken by US soldiers is not known.
The mission to capture Maduro and his wife was reportedly carried out by Delta Force, the US military’s top special mission unit.
Maduro came to power in 2013 after the death of Hugo Chavez. He faced years of criticism from the United States and several other countries over disputed elections, human rights allegations and claims of corruption. His government has consistently rejected the allegations, calling them politically motivated and an attack on Venezuela’s sovereignty.
