Maduro’s final words on US soil: ‘Happy New Year’ as Washington snatches Venezuela strongman

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s first words after being captured by US forces were a chillingly casual “Happy New Year”, uttered as he was led handcuffed through the headquarters of the US Drug Enforcement Administration in New York — a moment now circulating widely on social media.

Newly surfaced video shows the 63-year-old leader, dressed in a black hooded sweatshirt and shackled at the wrists, being escorted by DEA officers along a blue-carpeted corridor marked “DEA NYD” in lower Manhattan. As officials looked on, Maduro was heard greeting them with “good night” and “Happy New Year,” hours after his dramatic arrest in Venezuela.

Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were seized during a surprise pre-dawn raid on Caracas early Saturday in what Washington has described as a high-risk operation by elite US special forces. According to reports, the couple were asleep inside their residence at the heavily fortified Ft Tiuna military complex when the assault began.

The White House’s Rapid Response 47 account later released footage of Maduro’s so-called “perp walk” inside the DEA office, underscoring the extraordinary nature of the operation — the first time a sitting Venezuelan president has been taken into US custody.

Another video shows Maduro arriving on American soil. He was first taken to a US military base before being transferred to New York City. From the DEA headquarters, he was moved to the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, the same federal jail that held rapper Sean “Diddy” Combs during his trial last year.

US authorities have charged Maduro and Flores with narco-terrorism, accusing them of orchestrating the shipment of tonnes of cocaine into the United States and of possessing illegal weapons.

Operation Absolute Resolve

US officials said the capture was carried out under “Operation Absolute Resolve,” involving elite units including the Army’s Delta Force. The entire operation reportedly lasted around 30 minutes, with Maduro allegedly being dragged into custody as he attempted to flee to a steel-reinforced safe room within the compound.

Washington said no American troops were killed during the raid.

Senior US officials revealed that intelligence agencies had been covertly tracking Maduro since August, monitoring every aspect of his routine.

“How he moved, where he lived, where he travelled, what he ate, what he wore — even his pets,” Joint Chiefs Chairman General Dan Caine said, describing months of intense surveillance and “pinpoint” rehearsals.

US President Donald Trump claimed American forces had built a full-scale replica of Maduro’s residence to rehearse the mission. “I watched it, literally, like I was watching a television show,” Trump told Fox and Friends, calling the Caracas compound “a fortress.”

Trump has since made sweeping statements about Venezuela’s future, declaring that the US would “run” the country and exploit its vast oil reserves. He said he was appointing members of his cabinet to oversee Venezuelan affairs, without offering further details.

Why Washington struck

The capture followed weeks of escalating threats from Trump, who had warned of ground strikes against drug cartels in Venezuela. The US had also dramatically expanded its military footprint in the Caribbean, deploying its most advanced aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R Ford, along with additional warships and aircraft.

Trump has repeatedly accused Maduro of leading a drug cartel, linking the crackdown to narcotics trafficking, illegal migration and Venezuela’s oil industry.

The US and several European governments have long refused to recognize Maduro’s legitimacy, alleging he rigged elections in 2018 and 2024. In power since 2013, after succeeding Hugo Chávez, Maduro has consistently denied any involvement in drug trafficking, insisting Washington is seeking to overthrow him because Venezuela holds the largest proven oil reserves in the world.

For now, the image defining the moment is stark: a defiant Venezuelan strongman, in handcuffs on US soil, offering a casual New Year’s greeting as his grip on power abruptly ends.