Acting on a 2020 Justice Department warrant, President Trump authorized the raid that nabbed Maduro and Cilia Flores on drug trafficking charges tied to the 'Cartel of the Suns.' The couple was flown to New York for a perp walk before landing in a Brooklyn detention center, capping years of U.S. pressure over Maduro's disputed elections and cartel links. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth called it the most sophisticated special ops raid ever, while Trump pledged temporary U.S. oversight for a stable transition in the oil-rich nation. Venezuelans celebrated wildly, though China and Cuba condemned the move as a sovereignty breach.
