Vance Justifies Capture as Bringing Maduro to Justice

Mr. Maduro has “multiple indictments in the United States for narcoterrorism,” the vice president said.Vice President JD Vance took to social media on Saturday to assert that the United States capture of President Nicolás Maduro of Venezuela was legal.Credit...Tom Brenner for The New York TimesJan. 3, 2026, 11:01 a.m. ETVice President JD Vance justified the U.S. operation that captured Venezuela’s leader, Nicolás Maduro, as legal and necessary, praising it in a social media post on Saturday.“PSA for everyone saying this was ‘illegal’: Maduro has multiple indictments in the United States for narcoterrorism. You don’t get to avoid justice for drug trafficking in the United States because you live in a palace in Caracas,” he said, referring to the Venezuelan capital.Mr. Maduro, Venezuela’s leader since 2013, has denied U.S. accusations that he controls drug trafficking groups.Mr. Vance added that “the president offered multiple off ramps, but was very clear throughout this process: the drug trafficking must stop, and the stolen oil must be returned to the United States.”The “stolen oil” referred to a view within the administration that Venezuela illegally took American oil fields through nationalization.The U.S. operation inside Venezuela to capture the country’s leader is the latest in a series of escalations. The United States has bombed suspected drug boats in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean, has declared a blockade on some oil tankers coming to and from Venezuelan ports, and has seized or pursued several tankers.Adam Sella covers breaking news for The Times in Washington.SKIP