First images of captured Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro disembarking a plane at Stewart Air National Guard Base in New York surfaced between 1:15 a.m. and 1:45 a.m. UTC on January 4, 2026, according to an X post by cesarbaezc, showing his transfer to the DEA office in Manhattan for biometric data capture ahead of presentation before a judge next week. A separate X post by AlertaMundoNews during the same 29-minute window depicted Maduro in New York accompanied by DEA officials. Another post by JLRINVESTIGATES showed Maduro and his wife being taken away by DEA agents. A YouGov poll dated January 3, 2026, and shared by USA_Polling on X indicated 34% of respondents support the U.S. running Venezuela, with 41% opposed; support stood at 60% among Republicans, 26% among independents, and 16% among Democrats. Senator Marco Rubio told the New York Times he will wait to see if the current Venezuelan government hands over the oil, stating that refusal would lead to new attacks on Venezuela, per an X post by TrumpTruthOnX in the reporting window. The U.S. State Department issued a Level 4 Do Not Travel advisory for Venezuela on January 3, 2026, via TravelGov on X, noting no commercial flights operate in or out and all consular services remain suspended. These developments follow Maduro's arrival at Westside Heliport in New York just before 12:15 a.m. UTC on January 4, as previously reported, and the assignment of U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein to his criminal case.
