Switzerland's Federal Council announced on Jan. 5, 2026, between 1:15 p.m. and 1:45 p.m. UTC that it is freezing all Swiss-based assets linked to Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro with immediate effect to ensure any of illicit origin benefit the Venezuelan population, according to an official statement posted by @SwissGov on X. The move follows Maduro's arrest by U.S. forces in Caracas and transfer to New York for trial, as confirmed in prior U.S. and Venezuelan Armed Forces statements. Switzerland stated it will work to redirect illicit assets to Venezuelans, per the news.admin.ch release shared in the post. This asset freeze builds on earlier reports of similar measures announced by Switzerland's Federal Council during the 11:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. UTC window today, adding to international actions amid Maduro's capture.
