In the early hours of yesterday morning, US President Donald Trump announced that Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores had been “captured and flown out of the country.”
This breaking development has generated global attention, and here’s a clear timeline of what has happened since the announcement.
Maduro and Cilia Flores Taken During Overnight Operation
Maduro and Cilia Flores were dragged from their bedroom during the middle of the night, according to two sources familiar with the matter.
The US operation was carried out as they were sleeping, the sources said.
First Image Released After the Capture
Several hours later, Trump published a photograph of Maduro on board the USS Iwo Jima warship wearing a gray Nike sweatsuit and clutching a water bottle. He was also wearing a black eye mask and headphones.
Arrival in New York Under Heavy Security
Maduro was next seen deboarding a plane at Stewart Air National Guard Base in New York, where he was escorted by more than a dozen federal agents wearing black, according to footage from CNN affiliate WCBS.
Transfer to Federal Detention in Brooklyn
He was then transported to Manhattan by helicopter, and onwards to the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, also by helicopter. He is now being held there.
White House Releases Perp Walk Footage
Shortly after this, the White House’s official rapid response account posted video of what appeared to be Maduro participating in a perp walk. In the video, Maduro is wearing a black hooded sweatshirt and trousers, wishing those in the room a “good night” and a “Happy New Year” in English.
