Nicolas Maduro Faces US Drug Charges as Arrest Sparks Global Tensions

The 63-year-old was filmed being escorted in handcuffs by US Drug Enforcement Agency officials from a jail in Brooklyn to Manhattan federal court. Photo: Reuters

Nicolas Maduro, 63, was filmed in handcuffs being escorted by agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration from a Brooklyn jail to Manhattan federal court, where he is expected to face charges of narco-terrorism. Maduro denies all allegations.

His arrest followed a dramatic US Special Forces operation in Caracas over the weekend, during which American troops reportedly captured Maduro and his wife from a secure location in the Venezuelan capital. The operation marks the most significant US intervention in Latin America since the 1989 invasion of Panama.

The move has drawn mixed reactions in the UK. Home Office minister Mike Tapp described Maduro as an «evil, illegitimate dictator» and welcomed his removal from power. However, senior foreign policy figures voiced concern over the legality and long-term consequences of the action.

Sir Simon Fraser warned that the seizure risks ushering in a «more disordered and dangerous world», while Labour MP Emily Thornberry said the precedent of forcibly detaining foreign leaders could undermine international law.

U.S. President Donald Trump has defended the operation as a law enforcement action and signalled that further military steps could follow if Venezuela fails to cooperate on oil and drug trafficking issues. Acting Venezuelan leader Delcy Rodriguez has since offered limited cooperation with Washington, as protests against US actions spread internationally.

Kursiv Uzbekistan also reports that the shutdown followed a collapse in radio frequency systems at air traffic control centres in Athens and northern Greece, making communication with aircraft impossible.