Who could quickly pinpoint and extract Mr Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores? At his press conference Mr Trump said the US needed to be “surrounded by safe, secure countries”. Mr Trump barely mentioned the restoring of democracy to Venezuela or the war on drugs, ostensibly the motives for the apprehension of Mr Maduro. Even as they cheer on his takedown of Mr Maduro, Mr Trump’s ideological stable mates in Latin America will be nervous about such a naked display of self-interested power. [ Maduro in custody at New York detention centre as Trump says US will run VenezuelaOpens in new window ]

Source: The Irish Times January 04, 2026 14:03 UTC