US-Venezuela as it happened: ‘Extremely dangerous’ precedent set by Trump; Maduro prepares to face New York court after capture

Thank you for reading our live coverage of the events following the US capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, who is now in a New York prison ahead of his appearance in a Manhattan federal court on Tuesday (AEDT).

Attention has now turned to the political, legal and diplomatic ramifications of the American operation in Venezuela, and what the Trump administration might do next. Here’s the latest:

• Maduro will face court following his capture by American forces in Caracas. He has been charged with narco-terrorism, conspiracy to import cocaine and possession of machine guns. Venezuela is now being led by Delcy Rodríguez, previously vice president under Maduro, who invited Trump to “collaborate” on a future agenda prioritising peace and dialogue. The remarks walk back Rodríguez’s earlier condemnation of the “brutal use of force” displayed to capture Maduro.
• US President Donald Trump threatened further strikes on Venezuela and said military action in Colombia “sounds good to me”, as he put a handful of Latin American countries on notice. Venezuela would face further action if “they don’t behave”, Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One, and said Mexico needed to “get their act together”, as he lamented the cartel activity “pouring” through the region. Military intervention in Cuba was unlikely as it was “about to be down for the count”, Trump said. Australians in the Colombian capital, Bogotá, have been warned of increased unrest.
• Trump said the US would “run” Venezuela for an unspecified period and reclaim American oil interests, but he gave few further details before US Secretary of State Marco Rubio appeared to walk that statement back. US Attorney-General Pam Bondi released a joint statement claiming “every lawful option” was pursued to resolve the matter with Venezuela peacefully, but those efforts were repeatedly rejected.
• Industry and Innovation Minister Tim Ayres said the Australian government would “continue to watch” the situation in Venezuela “closely and carefully”, after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese urged “dialogue and diplomacy in order to secure regional stability and prevent escalation” in the wake of the US military operation. Albanese backed calls for a peaceful, democratic transition in Venezuela following Maduro’s capture.

Donald Trump has insisted that his relationship with Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping won’t sour after his administration’s capture of Nicolás Maduro, despite Beijing’s swift criticism of the use of force by the US in Venezuela.

Trump maintained his “very good relationship” with Xi would be unaffected.

China is a large buyer of Venezuelan oil, and sees the nation as a key barrier against American dominance in the region.

Trump confirmed he was planning to see Xi again in April, following the pair’s historic talks in South Korea in October. Their previous meeting lasted about one hour and 40 minutes, after which Trump called it “amazing”.

US President Donald Trump has threatened a second strike on Venezuela “if they don’t behave” and put Mexico on notice, as he signalled a potential military operation in Colombia.

Trump said US forces were prepared to continue strikes in Caracas as part of the operation that captured Nicolás Maduro, and didn’t rule out further action should Venezuela, now under interim leader Delcy Rodríguez, fail to co-operate with his administration.

“We were prepared to do a second strike if needed, we’re totally prepared, we’re still prepared,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One. “It’s not [off the table], if they don’t behave, we will do a second strike.”

Trump also called on Mexico to “get their act together” amid the cartel activity he said was “pouring” through the nation, and reiterated his offer to Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum for the deployment of American troops on Mexican soil.

“We’re going to have to do something, we’d love for Mexico to do it, they’re capable of doing it, but unfortunately the cartels are very strong in Mexico,” Trump said.

“I like Claudia, I think she’s a terrific person, I’d say every time I speak to her, I offer to send troops … she’s considering [the offer], she’s a little concerned, a little afraid, the cartels are running Mexico.”

Interim Venezuelan leader Delcy Rodríguez has invited Donald Trump to “collaborate” on a future agenda that prioritises peace, in a conciliatory message that appears to walk back comments in which she rebuked the US president in the hours after Nicolás Maduro’s capture.

Rodríguez, who was sworn into the presidency in a secret ceremony in Caracas and is helming the nation’s response to the US operation, said Venezuela “reaffirms its commitment to peace and peaceful coexistence”, and would prioritise “balanced and respectful international relations” with the Trump administration.

“We invite the US government to collaborate with us on an agenda of co-operation oriented towards shared development within the framework of international law to strengthen lasting community coexistence,” Rodríguez wrote in a new message posted to social media.

She also levelled a message directly at Trump, saying that the Americas region “deserve peace and dialogue, not war”, and that this has “always” been the message from Maduro and the Venezuelan people.

“This is the Venezuela I believe in and have dedicated my life to. I dream of a Venezuela where all good Venezuelans can come together,” she said.

Rodríguez previously hit out at the “brutal use of force” exhibited by US forces to capture Maduro, and warned that what occurred in Venezuela could be done to any country.

Welcome to our live coverage of the fallout following the US capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

With Maduro now in custody in a New York prison, attention is turning to the political, legal and diplomatic consequences of the audacious operation – and whether the Trump administration has a credible plan for what comes next.

Here is a recap of key events:

• Venezuela’s ousted leader spent his first night in a Brooklyn prison cell and will appear in a Manhattan federal court for arraignment on Monday (Tuesday AEDT).
• A new indictment unsealed by a federal judge in New York charged Maduro with narco-terrorism, conspiracy to import cocaine and possession of machine guns.
• Maduro’s vice president, Delcy Rodríguez, was sworn in as interim leader at a secret ceremony in Caracas.
• US President Donald Trump said a US military operation against neighbouring Colombia “sounds good to me”. Australians have been warned of an increased risk of unrest in its capital Bogota “following military strikes”.
• Concern is now simmering in Cuba, one of Venezuela’s most important allies and trading partners, after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a stern warning to the Cuban government.
• The Trump administration is facing renewed scrutiny over its plans for Venezuela, following the audacious US operation that captured Maduro.
• Trump said the US would “run” the South American nation for an unspecified period and reclaim American oil interests, but he gave few details of how, before Rubio appeared to walk that statement back.
• US Attorney-General Pam Bondi released a joint statement claiming “every lawful option” was pursued to resolve the matter peacefully, but those efforts were repeatedly rejected.
• The UN Security Council will meet on Monday (US time) to discuss the US strike on the Venezuela capital, which Secretary-General António Guterres described as a dangerous precedent.
• Russia and China, both major backers of Venezuela, have criticised the US.
• European Union member states, apart from Hungary, called for “a peaceful solution to the crisis”.
• Industry and Innovation Minister Tim Ayres says the Australian government would “continue to watch this closely and carefully”.

The Australian sharemarket has risen at the open despite dramatic events in Venezuela over the weekend, with energy companies helping fuel the local bourse despite a decline in oil prices due to the crisis.

The ASX gained 0.21 per cent today, or 18 points, to 8746 just after market open. The sharemarket clawed back early losses in its first trading session of 2026 on Friday, and today starts the first full trading week of the new year.

Six out of 11 sectors were in the green, but energy stocks were the only sector to report a notable gain, with Woodside up 0.6 per cent and Santos gaining 1.1 per cent.

This was despite Brent crude oil prices falling 0.3 per cent to $US60.57 a barrel as jittery markets reacted to the US-led strikes.

Read more: Energy companies boost ASX despite Venezuela strikes

The Trump administration decided to take action against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro partly because they thought his dance moves were making fun of them, The New York Times reports.

Maduro regularly danced in public despite mounting threats made against him and his country by US President Donald Trump.

In images broadcast on state television this week, Maduro was seen getting jiggy with it to an electronic beat, and a voiceover of “no crazy war”.

His moves convinced some on Trump’s team that the Venezuelan leader was mocking them, the NYT reported, quoting two anonymous sources.

That prompted the team to follow through on the US military threats and seize Maduro in the middle of the night.