New Delhi: New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani Saturday said he had spoken directly with US President Donald Trump to object to the American military’s capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, calling the operation a violation of international law and an “act of war”.
Speaking at a news conference days after being sworn into office, Mamdani said he contacted Trump to register his opposition to the operation, but declined to describe the president’s response.
“I made it clear, and we left it at that,” he said.
The remarks by the newly inaugurated mayor came as US officials confirmed that Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, had been indicted in the Southern District of New York and were being transported to the city to face federal charges.
Mamdani said he was briefed earlier in the day by senior city officials, including his chief of staff and the police commissioner, on the unfolding situation and on security preparations linked to the couple’s expected detention in federal custody in New York.
In a post on X, the mayor criticised what he described as Washington’s “blatant pursuit of regime change”, arguing that its consequences extended beyond Venezuela.
“Unilaterally attacking a sovereign nation is an act of war and a violation of federal and international law. This doesn’t just affect those abroad. It directly impacts New Yorkers, including tens of thousands of Venezuelans who call this city home,” Mamdani said.
I was briefed this morning on the U.S. military capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, as well as their planned imprisonment in federal custody here in New York City.
Unilaterally attacking a sovereign nation is an act of war and a violation of federal and…
— Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@NYCMayor) January 3, 2026
Operation Absolute Resolve, carried out by US forces early Saturday, resulted in the capture of Maduro and Flores. The two were flown to New York City after a federal court unsealed an indictment charging them with narcoterrorism and conspiracy to possess machine guns in the United States.
Attorney General Pamela Bondi said the indictments included narcotics- and weapons-related offences.
The United States and Venezuela have been locked in a prolonged diplomatic standoff, with Washington refusing to recognise Nicolás Maduro as Venezuela’s legitimate president since 2019 and imposing extensive sanctions over allegations of authoritarianism, human rights abuses and drug trafficking. Caracas has consistently rejected the charges, accusing successive US administrations of pursuing regime change and violating Venezuelan sovereignty.
(Edited by Sampurna Panigrahi)
Also read: India maintains silence on US operation against Maduro, issues travel advisory for Venezuela
Print already campaigning for Mamdani’s presidential nomination??
Yet will let NYC prison be used. Champagne socialists !