In a dramatic pre-dawn military operation on January 5, 2026, US forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and transported him to New York to face drug trafficking charges. This unprecedented move, involving air, land, and sea assets that penetrated the capital Caracas, has opened a perilous new chapter in international relations, blatantly violating the sovereignty of a nation of 28 million people.
A Lawless Precedent in Global Affairs
The operation, ordered by US President Donald Trump, sends a stark message far beyond Venezuela's borders. It demonstrates that the so-called rules-based international order is now severely compromised. The action was conducted without Congressional authorisation at home or a mandate from the UN Security Council abroad, setting a dangerous precedent where 'anything goes'. This follows a pattern from Trump's first term, where he unleashed global tariff wars, and now begins 2026 with regime change in Venezuela and threats against Iran.
While few will mourn the departure of Nicolas Maduro, whose autocratic rule hollowed out institutions and crushed dissent, the method of his removal is deeply troubling. Washington had signalled its intent for months, with Trump repeatedly accusing Maduro of funnelling drugs into the US, albeit on thin evidence. The US also conducted over two dozen strikes in international waters against alleged drug-smuggling vessels, actions themselves illegal, which killed more than 100 people.
The Geopolitical Fallout and Global Reaction
The international response has been notably muted. European nations have limited themselves to calls for restraint. As expected, Russia, China, Brazil, and Iran have been critical of the US action. For India, direct stakes in Venezuela are limited, but New Delhi has termed the development a "matter of deep concern." This cautious stance reflects a broader diplomatic challenge, coming months after Trump imposed 50% tariffs on various imports, with a US-India trade deal still hanging fire. Like most nations, India is now forced to play it by ear in this volatile new landscape.
The operation aligns with Trump's recently unveiled National Security Strategy, which advocates for "a hemisphere whose governments cooperate with us against narco-terrorists." However, it effectively replaces one authoritarian regime with a potentially extractive order imposed by foreign power.
The Uncertain 'Day After' for Venezuela
The most pressing question is what comes next for Venezuela, a nation sitting on the world's largest proven oil reserves. Trump has stated that the US will "run" the country and that its "broken infrastructure" would be repaired by American oil companies. He has also shown little interest, for now, in collaborating with the domestic opposition led by Nobel Peace Prize laureate María Corina Machado.
This approach risks igniting a protracted armed conflict with remaining militias and resistance groups, triggering refugee flows and wider destabilisation across Latin America. The world is now a spectator to a high-stakes experiment in unilateral nation-building. The US must now manage the aftermath in a sovereign nation whose borders it has violently breached, with consequences that will reverberate globally for years to come.
