North Korea has strongly condemned the capture of Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro by the United States, calling it a “serious violation of sovereignty”, state media said, citing AFP. North Korea said in a statement that Maduro’s capture confirmed the “rogue and brutal” nature of the United States.
Pyongyang’s foreign ministry “strongly condemns the US hegemony-seeking act committed in Venezuela,” a ministry spokesman said in a statement released by the official KCNA.
“The incident is another example that once again clearly confirms the villainous and brutal nature of the US,” the ministry added.
On Saturday, January 3, US President Donald Trump publicly announced that US forces had carried out a “massive strike” against Venezuela, capturing Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores.
Where is Maduro currently located?
After being captured in Venezuela, Maduro was flown from Caracas by US helicopter and flown aboard the USS Iwo Jima, appearing in a photo that has since gone viral after US President Donald Trump shared it on the Truth Social account.
He was later transferred to New York, traveling via Cuba. Once he arrived in New York, he was reportedly taken to the offices of the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
The Venezuelan president has since been transferred from the DEA office in Manhattan to the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, the BBC reported.
Maduro is expected to face trial on drug and weapons charges, which could happen as early as Monday. He has previously denied running a drug cartel, according to a BBC report.
Trump says the US will run Venezuela
President Trump, meanwhile, said at a news conference at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida that the country would be run by the United States, a move that was criticized by some legal experts.
Those experts questioned the legality of the operation that captured the foreign leader, while Democrats said they were misinformed at recent congressional briefings and called for clarification on next steps, Mint reported earlier.
Maduro was indicted along with his wife, son and three other people. The indictment lists four charges against him, which include conspiracy to commit narco-terrorism, conspiracy to import cocaine, possession of machine guns and destructive devices, and conspiracy to possess machine guns and destructive devices.
Several explosions were reported in Caracas in the early hours of Saturday, including explosions near military installations.
