EXECUTIVE & CABINET
IN U.S. CUSTODY
Verified April 2026
Nicolás Maduro
Former President of Venezuela (in U.S. federal custody)
At a glance
Nicolás Maduro is the former President of Venezuela. He was captured by U.S. military forces in Caracas on January 3, 2026 and is currently in U.S. federal custody, charged in the Southern District of New York with narco-terrorism conspiracy and related counts.
Who is Nicolás Maduro?
Nicolás Maduro Moros served as President of Venezuela from April 2013 — when he assumed the office following the death of Hugo Chávez — until January 3, 2026, when U.S. special operations forces captured him and his wife Cilia Flores in Caracas as part of a wider military operation called Operation Resolve. Both were transported to the United States and indicted in the Southern District of New York. Maduro was charged with narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy, and weapons offences against the United States.
Inside Venezuela, Vice President Delcy Rodríguez was sworn in as Acting President on January 5, 2026 under constitutional succession. The Venezuelan government and the National Assembly continue to assert that Maduro is the de jure president of Venezuela; the United States and most of its allies treat him as removed from power. The legitimacy of the U.S. capture remains contested under international law.
For foreign-investor and compliance teams, Maduro's incarceration is the most significant change to the Venezuelan political risk picture in over a decade. PDVSA joint ventures, OFAC general licenses, sovereign-debt trajectory, and the entire post-2017 sanctions architecture were all built around his administration; the Rodríguez-led transition is the new counterparty.
Also known as: Nicolás Maduro Moros; Maduro.
Career timeline
- 2006–2013 — Foreign Minister of Venezuela
- 2012–2013 — Executive Vice President of Venezuela
- 2013 — Assumed the presidency after the death of Hugo Chávez
- 2017 — Added to the OFAC SDN list under Venezuela-related sanctions
- 2018 — Re-elected in an election widely rejected by the U.S., EU, and most Latin American governments
- 2024 — Declared winner of the July 28 presidential election; results disputed by the opposition and rejected by the U.S.
- 2026 — Captured by U.S. military forces in Caracas on January 3 (Operation Resolve); arraigned in U.S. federal court in New York
Network & connections
The following figures are part of Nicolás Maduro's direct political, cabinet, or institutional network — useful for compliance teams mapping the wider Venezuelan power structure:
Frequently asked questions
▸ Who is Nicolás Maduro?
Nicolás Maduro Moros is the former President of Venezuela, in office from April 2013 until his capture by U.S. special operations forces in Caracas on January 3, 2026. A former bus driver and union organizer, he rose through the PSUV to serve as Foreign Minister and Vice President before succeeding Hugo Chávez. He is now in United States federal custody in New York, indicted in the Southern District of New York on narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy, and weapons charges.
▸ Where is Nicolás Maduro now?
Nicolás Maduro is alive and remains in United States federal custody. He was captured by U.S. special operations forces in Caracas on January 3, 2026, transported to the United States, and arraigned in the Southern District of New York on charges including narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy, and weapons offences against the United States. As of mid-2026 he is being held at a U.S. federal detention facility in New York pending trial — see 'Where is Maduro being held?' below for facility detail.
▸ Where is Maduro being held?
Multiple U.S. news organizations — including CNN, Time, and Axios — have reported that Maduro is held at the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) in Brooklyn, New York, the same federal facility that has housed other high-profile detainees. He is reportedly confined in a Special Administrative Measures (SAMs) unit, a high-security wing that restricts him to his cell for roughly 23 hours a day and limits outside contact. His wife, Cilia Flores, is held at the same facility.
▸ Is Maduro still the President of Venezuela?
No — in practical terms, Vice President Delcy Rodríguez was sworn in as Acting President on January 5, 2026 and continues to lead the Venezuelan government. The Venezuelan state and the National Assembly continue to assert that Maduro is the de jure president; the United States, the EU, and most Latin American governments treat him as removed from power.
▸ How long was Maduro in power?
Nicolás Maduro was President of Venezuela for just under 13 years — from his swearing-in in April 2013, after the death of Hugo Chávez, until his capture by U.S. forces on January 3, 2026.
▸ Why does Maduro's capture matter to foreign investors?
The post-2017 Venezuelan sanctions architecture, OFAC general licenses, PDVSA joint-venture frameworks, and sovereign-debt restructuring conversations were all anchored on the Maduro administration. His removal restarts the political-risk calculation: foreign-investor counterparties now negotiate with the Rodríguez-led transition government, not the Maduro circle.
▸ Why was Maduro captured?
Nicolás Maduro was captured by U.S. special operations forces on January 3, 2026 as part of Operation Resolve. The legal basis was a sealed 2020 indictment in the Southern District of New York charging Maduro with narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy (alleging coordination with the FARC to ship multi-ton cocaine loads through Venezuela), and weapons offences against the United States. The U.S. government cited the $15 million Narcotics Rewards Program bounty posted in 2020 and classified intelligence on Maduro's alleged direct role in the Cartel de los Soles network. The operation was authorized by President Trump under war powers and foreign affairs authorities.
▸ How was Maduro captured?
Maduro was captured in a U.S. military raid on his compound in Caracas in the early hours of January 3, 2026, as part of Operation Resolve. U.S. Army Delta Force operators carried out the ground assault with CIA intelligence support, while the wider operation included strikes on Venezuelan air-defense and military infrastructure and involved more than 150 U.S. aircraft, according to Department of War and press reporting. Maduro and Cilia Flores were taken aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima before being transported through Naval Station Guantanamo Bay and on to a New York-area military airfield for arraignment. The Department of War said the operation lasted roughly two and a half hours; seven U.S. servicemembers were reported injured, with no U.S. fatalities.
▸ What are the charges against Maduro?
Maduro faces a multi-count federal indictment in the Southern District of New York. The principal charges are narco-terrorism conspiracy (21 USC § 960a), conspiracy to import cocaine into the United States (21 USC § 963), and weapons offences related to the alleged use of state resources to facilitate drug trafficking. The indictment alleges that Maduro, along with senior Venezuelan military and intelligence officials, operated the 'Cartel de los Soles' — using Venezuelan airports, military bases, and diplomatic pouches to move cocaine from Colombian FARC production zones to Central American and Caribbean transshipment points. If convicted on all counts, Maduro faces a mandatory minimum of life imprisonment.
▸ What is the current status of Maduro's legal case?
Maduro's case is now on a set trial track. At a July 22, 2026 hearing — his third public court appearance since capture — U.S. District Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein set the trial date for June 1, 2027, with a final pretrial conference on May 25, 2027. The hearing itself lasted less than 20 minutes and focused on scheduling; oral arguments on the defense's motion to dismiss the narco-terrorism indictment are set for November 17, 2026. Before the case can reach trial, the court must first resolve a threshold sovereign-immunity defense: Maduro's lead attorney, Barry Pollack, argues that Maduro and Cilia Flores cannot be prosecuted because they held sovereign immunity at the time of their January 2026 detention, and that this issue should be decided before further litigation over the government's evidence. This section is time-sensitive and should be refreshed on future passes.
▸ What personal facts are known about Nicolás Maduro?
Maduro was born on November 23, 1962, making him 63 years old as of mid-2026. Public reporting has not established a verified height or build for him. His public remarks since capture — including his January 2026 arraignment statement that he considers himself a 'prisoner of war' — have been delivered in Spanish. CNN reported in March 2026 that Maduro appeared noticeably thinner at a court appearance after roughly 80 days in custody; his son, Nicolás Maduro Guerra, attributed the change to discipline and exercise.
▸ Did Maduro's appearance after capture draw media attention?
Yes. Photos released after the January 3, 2026 capture — including one posted by President Trump — showed Maduro blindfolded in a gray Nike tracksuit, which went viral and briefly drove spikes in searches for the garment. Other images circulated of Maduro wearing a hoodie from Maine-based apparel maker Origin USA, reportedly provided by a Drug Enforcement Administration agent to keep him warm during the cold-weather transfer to New York. His rotating wardrobe across the transit from Caracas to New York became its own minor news story.
▸ Does Maduro have family in the public eye besides Cilia Flores?
Yes. Maduro's wife, Cilia Flores, was captured alongside him and is separately profiled on this site. His son from a previous relationship, Nicolás Maduro Guerra — widely known as 'Nicolasito' — is a Venezuelan politician in his own right: a deputy in the National Assembly since 2021, a former member of the 2017–2020 National Constituent Assembly, and former head of the Corps of Inspectors of the Presidency. The U.S. Treasury sanctioned Maduro Guerra in 2019 for his role in the Venezuelan government, and he was charged alongside his father and stepmother Cilia Flores in the same SDNY indictment.
▸ What is Maduro's net worth, and what was his career before politics?
Before entering politics, Maduro worked as a bus driver for the Caracas Metro system and became a union organizer and official with the transport workers' union — a background frequently cited when contrasting his humble start with his later three-decade rise through Chavismo. Estimates of his personal net worth are difficult to verify given Venezuela's lack of financial disclosure; one widely cited figure from Celebrity Net Worth puts it at roughly $2 million, though his official presidential salary was reported at a small fraction of that per month, supplemented by state housing and security. Corruption allegations tied to gold, oil, and mining deals under his administration have never been reflected in a verified personal balance sheet.
▸ What was the Erdogan–Maduro relationship?
Nicolás Maduro and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan built an unusually close relationship from roughly 2016 onward, rooted in shared anti-US posturing and concrete economic interests. Turkey became a critical gold-trading partner for Venezuela after OFAC sanctions tightened: Venezuelan state gold (mined via the Arco Minero del Orinoco) was exported to Turkish refineries and re-sold on global markets, generating hard currency outside the dollar system. Erdoğan visited Caracas in 2018 and the two governments signed broad cooperation agreements. Turkish airline Anadolujet also operated Caracas routes during a period when Western carriers had pulled out.
▸ Was Maduro friendly with Bashar al-Assad?
Yes. Maduro maintained warm ties with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad throughout the Syrian civil war, refusing to join any international condemnation and hosting Assad's son at official events. The relationship was grounded in Chávez-era Third World solidarity politics and a shared hostility to US foreign policy. Venezuela and Syria were among a small group of countries that voted against or abstained on UN resolutions criticising the Assad government's conduct in the war.
▸ Who were Maduro's other international allies — Russia and China?
Russia was Venezuela's principal arms supplier under Maduro, providing air-defense systems, aircraft, and small arms; Moscow sold more than $20 billion in weapons and military equipment to Venezuela since 1999, and periodically deployed military aircraft and personnel to Caracas as a show of support during crises, including flights linked to the Wagner Group in 2019 and 2024. Maduro and Vladimir Putin met in Moscow in May 2025, with Maduro describing 'perfect harmony' between the two governments; Russia did not intervene during the January 2026 U.S. operation that captured him. China was Venezuela's largest creditor and a critical oil buyer under Maduro: Beijing extended more than $60 billion in loans-for-oil financing between 2007 and 2017 through the China Development Bank, with an estimated $17–19 billion still outstanding at the time of Maduro's capture. Maduro visited Beijing in 2018 to sign cooperation agreements and voice support for China's Belt and Road Initiative under Xi Jinping.
▸ What is Maduro activating milicias (milicia)?
The Bolivarian Militia (Milicia Bolivariana) is a civilian auxiliary force created under Chávez in 2005 and expanded dramatically under Maduro as a counterweight to the regular military. At its peak, the government claimed over three million enrolled members, though independent analysts estimated the combat-effective figure as far lower. Maduro periodically activated militia units as a show of force during political crises — including during the 2019 Guaidó uprising, the 2020 US sanctions escalation, and in late 2025 ahead of his capture. The militia's role under the post-Maduro transition government has been significantly curtailed.
Sources & further reading
- Wikipedia: Nicolás Maduro
- U.S. State Department: Nicolás Maduro Moros (Captured)
- U.S. Department of War — capture announcement
- Wikipedia: Prosecution of Nicolás Maduro and Cilia Flores
- Task & Purpose — Delta Force soldiers carried out raid to capture Maduro
- NPR — What we know about the military operation to capture Maduro
- CNN — Inside the notorious Brooklyn jail where Maduro is being held
- Time — Inside the Brooklyn Jail Where Maduro Is Being Held
- CBS News — Maduro held in a 'jail inside of a jail' under Special Administrative Measures
- CNBC — Maduro says he was 'kidnapped' and is a 'prisoner of war,' pleads not guilty
- Polymarket — Maduro guilty of all counts? (prediction market)
- Euronews — Maduro's Nike sweatsuit becomes unexpected viral sensation
- Bangor Daily News — Maduro photographed wearing Maine company's sweatshirt after capture
- Nike — official site
- Origin USA — official site
- U.S. Department of the Treasury — sanctions on Nicolás Maduro's son
- Wikipedia: Nicolás Maduro Guerra
- Yahoo News — What is Nicolás Maduro's net worth? Here's what we know
- Wikipedia: Russia–Venezuela relations
- Wikipedia: China–Venezuela relations
- RFE/RL — Maduro Is Gone From Venezuela, But Russia May Not Be
Useful tools and explainers
- Browse all active OFAC Venezuela SDN designations — the live US Treasury tracker for individuals, entities, vessels, and aircraft.
- OFAC Venezuela sanctions checker — paste any name to check it against the active SDN list.
- How to invest in Venezuela (2026 sanctions-safe guide)
- Browse all Venezuelan power figures
Other executive & cabinet
Maduro government, vice-presidents, ministers, and the inner circle.
EXECUTIVE & CABINET
Arianny Seijo Noguera
Arianny Seijo Noguera is the Attorney General of Venezuela (Procuradora General de la República), the senior state lawyer representing the Venezuelan state in civil and commercial litigation. She was appointed by Acting President Delcy Rodríguez and confirmed by the National Assembly on March 24, 2026.
Open profile EXECUTIVE & CABINETCilia Flores
Cilia Flores is the wife of former president Nicolás Maduro and a longtime PSUV leader who was captured alongside him by U.S. military forces on January 3, 2026. She is currently in U.S. federal custody and has been indicted in the Southern District of New York.
Open profile EXECUTIVE & CABINETDelcy Rodríguez
Delcy Rodríguez is the Acting President of Venezuela, sworn in on January 5, 2026 after the U.S. military's capture of Nicolás Maduro. She is the senior figure foreign-investor and compliance teams now negotiate with on every Venezuelan counterparty question.
Open profile