World leaders were sharply divided Saturday after the United States launched a large-scale strike on Venezuela and President Donald Trump announced that the country’s leader, Nicolás Maduro, had been captured and flown out of the country.

Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez condemned what he called a «criminal attack,» writing on X that, «Our zone of peace is being brutally assaulted.» Communist Cuba is a supporter of the Maduro government and has been a longtime adversary of the United States.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro said his government viewed the reports coming out of Venezuela «with deep concern,» and he warned against further escalation, claiming the U.S. strikes risked destabilizing the region.

«The Colombian Government rejects any unilateral military action that could aggravate the situation or put the civilian population at risk,» Petro wrote on X.

US COAST GUARD PURSUES THIRD ‘DARK FLEET’ OIL TANKER AS TRUMP TARGETS VENEZUELAN SANCTIONS EVASION NETWORK

World leaders react with condemnation, concern, and praise after the U.S. launches a strike on Venezuela as Trump claims Maduro was allegedly captured. (JUAN BARRETO/AFP via Getty Images)

Petro said Colombia is taking preventive measures to «protect the civilian population» and «preserve stability on the Colombian-Venezuelan border,» although he did not provide exact details.

Mexico also condemned the U.S. military intervention in Venezuela, saying it was a «clear violation» of international law and urging an end to what it described as «any acts of aggression» against Venezuela.

«Latin America and the Caribbean is a zone of peace,» a statement released by the Mexican foreign ministry reads. The statement was shared by Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum on X.

It warned that any military action puts regional stability at «serious risk.»

Iran’s Foreign Ministry also condemned the strikes.

Meanwhile, President Javier Milei of Argentina, a close ally of Trump, praised the news by sharing a previous video of him denouncing Maduro’s «narco-terrorist» regime as a regional threat and urging Latin American leaders to back U.S. pressure to end it.

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION TARGETS MADURO’S INNER CIRCLE, FAMILY IN MAJOR NARCO-STATE CRACKDOWN

Demonstrators hold posters of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, right, and late former President Hugo Chávez during a rally in Caracas, Venezuela. (Jesus Vargas/Getty Images)

«Long live freedom, dammit!» Milei wrote, using his signature pro-freedom chant.

In Europe, European Council President António Costa said he was following developments in Venezuela «with great concern,» urging de-escalation and respect for international law.

«The European Union calls for de-escalation and a resolution in full respect of international law and the principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations,» Costa said, adding that the bloc would continue to support a «peaceful, democratic, and inclusive solution» in Venezuela.

In the U.K., Reform leader and staunch Trump ally Nigel Farage questioned the legality of the attack but said it may lead to a favorable outcome.

Argentina President Javier Milei praised the news by sharing a previous video of him denouncing Maduro’s «narco-terrorist» regime as a regional threat. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

«The American actions in Venezuela overnight are unorthodox and contrary to international law — but if they make China and Russia think twice, it may be a good thing,» Farage wrote. «I hope the Venezuelan people can now turn a new leaf without Maduro.

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Meanwhile, in Venezuela, the government called on citizens to mobilize against what it labeled an «imperialist attack,» urging, «People to the streets!»

Regional reaction elsewhere in Latin America was muted in the early hours after the strike, with several governments remaining silent as uncertainty grew over who was in control in Caracas.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

En una declaración oficial difundida en redes sociales, la fiscal general Pamela Bondi confirmó la imputación de Nicolás Maduro y su esposa, Cilia Flores, en el tribunal del Distrito Sur de Nueva York, un hecho que eleva la tensión diplomática entre Venezuela y Estados Unidos. “Nicolás Maduro ha sido acusado de conspiración para narcoterrorismo, conspiración para importar cocaína, posesión de ametralladoras y artefactos destructivos, y conspiración para poseer ametralladoras y artefactos destructivos contra Estados Unidos”, afirmó Bondi.

La gravedad de los cargos ilustra la magnitud de la investigación. La funcionaria estadounidense subrayó el alcance internacional de la acusación, al precisar que “pronto, enfrentarán toda la fuerza de la justicia estadounidense en suelo estadounidense y en tribunales estadounidenses”.

El comunicado reservó palabras de reconocimiento para las autoridades y fuerzas militares estadounidenses involucradas. De acuerdo con Bondi, “en nombre de todo el Departamento de Justicia de Estados Unidos, quiero agradecer al presidente Trump por tener el coraje de exigir rendición de cuentas en nombre del pueblo estadounidense”.

El respaldo institucional incluyó un elogio expreso para los equipos responsables de la operación, que consideró un éxito operacional. La fiscal general añadió: “Y un enorme agradecimiento a nuestros valientes militares, quienes llevaron a cabo la increíble y altamente exitosa misión para capturar a estos dos presuntos narcotraficantes internacionales”, destacó Bondi en X.

Maduroenfrentará a la justicia federal de Estados Unidos tras ser capturado por el Ejército norteamericano en la madrugada de este sábado. El líder chavista es acusado de liderar el “Cartel de los Soles”, una organización que fue incluida por el gobierno de Donald Trump en la lista de grupos narcoterroristas.

Entre las acusaciones figuran conspiración para narcotráfico internacional, narcoterrorismo, conspiración para importar cocaína a territorio estadounidense y vínculos con organizaciones armadas, como las FARC, para emplear el narcotráfico con fines políticos.

Fuertes explosiones, acompañadas de sonidos similares a los de aviones sobrevolando la zona, se registraron alrededor de las 02:00 hora local (06:00 GMT) de este sábado en Caracas. Se trató del ataque “a gran escala” llevado adelante por el ejército estadounidense, según la confirmación del presidente Trump.

“Estados Unidos ha llevado a cabo con éxito un ataque a gran escala contra Venezuela y su líder,el presidente Nicolás Maduro, fue capturado y trasladado en avión junto con su esposa, fuera del país”, escribió el mandatario en un mensaje en su red Truth Social.

A través de las redes sociales, los usuarios postearon videos de explosiones y sobrevuelos en la capital venezonala. En ese sentido, también reportaron ataques aéreos en las bases militares La Carlota y Fuerte Tiuna, mientras residentes de la capital afirman escuchar el ruido de aviones sobrevolando la zona.

En una breve entrevista telefónica con el diario The New York Times durante la madrugada, Trump reiteró que consideraba la operación como “brillante”.

La captura de Maduro y Flores marca un punto de inflexión en la crisis venezolana, mientras la comunidad internacional permanece atenta a los próximos anuncios de las autoridades estadounidenses.

Según informó el senador republicano Mike Lee tras mantener una conversación con el secretario de Estado de Estados Unidos, Marco Rubio, Nicolás Maduro fue capturado por Estados Unidos y enfrentará un juicio penal en territorio estadounidense. Según Lee, Rubio indicó además que, tras la detención, no se prevén nuevas acciones militares en el país.

El funcionario estadounidense mencionó meses atrás que Maduro era considerado por Estados Unidos como “fugitivo de la justicia norteamericana” y “narcoterrorista”. En ese sentido, sostuvo que el recientemente capturado no era “ni líder legítimo, ni jefe de Estado” en Venezuela. Señaló que un gran jurado en el estado de Nueva York lo encausó por delitos de narcotráfico y terrorismo.

Former special counsel Jack Smith used a closed-door deposition with House Republicans last month to defend his investigations into Donald Trump’s alleged effort to subvert the 2020 presidential election and his alleged retention of certain classified documents, using the hours-long testimony to forcefully dispute the notion that his team had acted politically, and citing what he described as ample evidence to support the indictments that had been levied against Trump. 

«I made my decisions in the investigation without regard to President Trump’s political association, activities, beliefs, or candidacy in the 2024 presidential election,» Smith told members of the House Judiciary Committee in the Dec. 17 interview.

The interview was Smith’s first time appearing before Congress since he left his role as special counsel in 2024. And while much of the information was not new, the exchange was punctuated by sharp exchanges with Republicans on the panel, both on the strength of the case, and on his own actions taken during the course of the probe — most recently, on the tolling records his team sought from a handful of Republican lawmakers over the course of the investigation. Republicans have assailed the records as being at odds with the speech or debate clause of the Constitution.  

«I made my decisions in the investigation without regard to President Trump’s political association, activities, beliefs, or candidacy in the 2024 presidential election,» Smith told the committee. «We took actions based on what the facts, and the law required — the very lesson I learned early in my career as a prosecutor.»

Republicans on the panel ultimately opted to publish the redacted transcript on New Year’s Eve, a decision that may have helped dull the impact of any news the 255-page document may have generated amid the broader hustle and bustle of the holiday season.

Here are some of the biggest moments and notable exchanges from the eight-hour hearing. 

 TRUMP STRIPS SECURITY CLEARANCES FROM LAW FIRM TIED TO JACK SMITH CASES

Special Counsel Jack Smith arrives to remarks on a recently unsealed indictment including four felony counts against former President Donald Trump in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images) (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

New political tensions 

Smith was tapped by former Attorney General Merrick Garland in 2022 to investigate the alleged effort by Trump and his allies to overturn the results of the 2020 election, as well as Trump’s keeping of allegedly classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Palm Beach after leaving office in 2020. Smith had brought charges against Trump in both cases.

The charges were dropped after Trump’s election, in keeping with a longstanding Justice Department policy that discourages investigating sitting presidents for federal criminal charges, and Smith resigned from his role shortly after.

If nothing else, Smith’s Dec. 17 testimony underscored just how much has changed since Trump’s reelection in 2024. 

Trump, for his part, has used his first year back in office to follow through on his promises to go after his perceived political «enemies,» including by revoking security clearances of many individuals, including employees of a D.C.-based law firm that represents Smith, and taking other punitive measures to punish or fire FBI agents involved in the Jan. 6, 2021, investigation.

During his testimony last month, Smith fiercely disputed the notion that Trump’s remarks about the 2020 election results would be protected by the First Amendment. 

«Absololutely not,» he said in response to a lawyer for Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee.

The lawyer then ticked through a «long list of disputed elections» in U.S. history and former presidents who have spoken out about «what they believed to be fraud,» or other issues regarding election integrity. «I think you would agree that those types of statements are sort of at the core of the First Amendment rights of a presidential candidate, right?»

«There is no historical analog for what President Trump did in this case,» Smith said immediately. 

JACK SMITH SUBPOENAED FOR DEPOSITION WITH HOUSE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE

Former President Donald Trump and attorney Todd Blanche return from a lunch break in his trial at Manhattan court in New York on Thursday, April 18, 2024. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via AP, Pool)

‘Powerful’ evidence

Smith told members that the special counsel ultimately gathered evidence against Trump that was, in his view, sufficient to secure a conviction.

«He made false statements to state legislatures, to his supporters in all sorts of contexts and was aware in the days leading up to Jan. 6th that his supporters were angry when he invited them, and then he directed them to the Capitol,» Smith said of Trump’ actions in the run-up to Jan. 6. 

«Now, once they were at the Capitol and once the attack on the Capitol happened, he refused to stop it. He instead issued a tweet that, without question in my mind, endangered the life of his own vice president,» Smith added. «And when the violence was going on, he had to be pushed repeatedly by his staff members to do anything to quell it.»

Other possible co-conspirators had not been charged, as Smith noted at one point during the interview. 

But Smith said in the testimony that his team had developed «proof beyond a reasonable doubt» that Trump «engaged in a criminal scheme to overturn the results of the 2020 election and to prevent the lawful transfer of power.»

They’d also developed what he described as «powerful evidence» that Trump willfully retained highly classified documents after leaving office in January 2021 at his private Mar-a-Lago residence, and was obstructing the government’s efforts to recover the records.

Smith’s team had not determined how to proceed for possible ‘co-conspirators’

Smith said that, when the special counsel wound down in the wake of the 2024 elections, his team had not determined whether to charge the key Trump allies who may or may not have acted as co-conspirators, including Rudy Giuliani, Sidney Powell and John Eastman.

«As we stated in the final report, we analyzed the evidence against different co-conspirators,» Smith said. Smith reiterated his allegation that Trump was «the most culpable» and «most responsible» person for the alleged attempts to subvert the 2020 election results. 

He said the special counsel had «determined that we did have evidence to charge people at a certain point in time.» 

But at the time the investigation was wound down, they had not made «final determinations about that at the time that President Trump won reelection, meaning that our office was going to be closed down.»

FBI OUSTS FORMER ACTING DIRECTOR, AGENT INVOLVED IN J6 PROSECUTIONS, WITH MORE EXPECTED

Former Department of Justice Special Counsel Jack Smith enters a room in the Rayburn House Office Building to give his deposition before the House Judiciary Committee, part of its oversight into DOJ investigations into President Donald Trump, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025. (J. Scott Applewhite/AP Photo)

He lamented the ousting of DOJ, FBI officials 

Smith used his opening remarks to lament the ousting of FBI agents and Justice Department officials involved in the Jan. 6 investigations.

«I am both saddened and angered that President Trump has sought revenge against career prosecutors, FBI agents, and support staff simply for doing their jobs and for having worked on those cases,» Smith said.

His remarks came after the FBI in recent months ousted a handful of personnel involved in the Jan. 6 investigations, an effort individuals familiar with the action described to Fox News at the time as an act of «retaliation.»

Thousands of FBI personnel in February were forced to fill out a sprawling questionnaire asking employees detailed questions about any role they may have played in the investigation into the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riots — ranging from whether they had testified in any criminal trials to when they last participated in investigation-related activity.

FBI AGENTS SUE TRUMP DOJ TO BLOCK ANY PUBLIC IDENTIFICATION OF EMPLOYEES WHO WORKED ON JAN. 6 INVESTIGATIONS

Smith’s team didn’t tell the courts that subpoenaed phone records belonged to lawmakers

Smith was grilled during the deposition about the highly scrutinized subpoenas his team issued to phone companies for data belonging to House and Senate lawmakers as part of his investigation, saying they aligned with the Justice Department’s policy at the time.

Smith said the Public Integrity Section signed off on the subpoenas, a point corroborated by records previously released by Grassley’s office. 

Those records also showed that the Public Integrity Section told prosecutors to be wary of concerns lawmakers could raise about the Constitution’s speech or debate clause, which gives Congress members added protections.

The subpoenas to the phone companies were accompanied by gag orders blocking the lawmakers from learning about the existence of the subpoenas for at least one year. Smith said the D.C. federal court, which authorized the gag orders, would not have been aware that they applied to Congress members.»I don’t think we identified that, because I don’t think that was Department policy at the time,» Smith said.

Asked during the deposition about who should be held accountable for lawmakers who felt that the seizure of a narrow set of their phone data was a constitutional violation, Smith said Trump should be held accountable.

«These records are people, in the case of the Senators, Donald Trump directed his co-conspirators to call these people to further delay the proceedings,» Smith said.

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«He chose to do that. If Donald Trump had chosen to call a number of Democratic Senators, we would have gotten toll records for Democratic Senators. So responsibility for why these records, why we collected them, that’s — that lies with Donald Trump,» he said.