NEW YORK/CARACAS/WASHINGTON/MOSCOW/HAVANA/BRUSSELS/BRASILIA - Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, who were captured in a large-scale US military strike on Venezuela early Saturday morning, will be sent to the Metropolitan Detention Center in New York, according to a report by CNN.

The military aircraft carrying the couple landed at the Stewart Air National Guard Base in Newburgh, New York State around 5 pm (2200 GMT) on Saturday afternoon, according to multiple reports and video footage.

Maduro and a few others will face charges of narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy, possession of machine guns and destructive devices, and conspiracy to possess machine guns and destructive devices next week in US District Court for the Southern District of New York, according to an unsealed indictment released by the US Department of Justice on Saturday.

At least 40 people, including civilians and soldiers, were killed in the large-scale US military strike on Venezuela, US media reported, citing a senior Venezuelan official. 

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Venezuela's Supreme Court ordered Vice-President Delcy Rodriguez to assume role of acting president after Maduro's capture. The order said that Rodriguez's role as acting president "should be exercised immediately."               

Rodriguez demanded the "immediate release" of the Maduro couple at a session of the National Defense Council broadcast by a state television channel on Saturday.

Accompanied by the ministers of the interior, foreign affairs and other officials, Rodriguez demanded that the United States release Maduro and his wife, and urged the Venezuelan people to remain calm, face the challenges together and defend national sovereignty.

Noting that the attack on Venezuela may happen in any other country in the region in the future, Rodriguez said Venezuela is ready to defend its natural resources and will never become a colony of any country or a slave of any empire.

US President Donald Trump claimed at a press conference Saturday morning that Rodriguez had been sworn in as president of Venezuela, and that Secretary of State Marco Rubio "just had a conversation" with her.

"She's essentially willing to do what we think is necessary to make Venezuela great again," Trump claimed while speaking to reporters.

The latest US strikes on Venezuela and its capture of Maduro have drawn worldwide condemnation and concern.

The UN Security Council announced Saturday that it will hold an emergency meeting on Monday on the US operation against Venezuela.

Trump: US to 'run' Venezuela

Trump said on Saturday the United States will "run" Venezuela after the US military raided the country and captured Maduro and his wife.

"We're going to run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition," Trump said at a press conference at his Mar-a-Lago private club in Florida.

"We don't want to be involved with having somebody else get in, and we have the same situation that we had for the last long period of years. So we are going to run the country," he said.

"We're there now. We're going to stay until such time as the proper transition can take place," Trump added, offering no timeline for how long such a transition of power is expected to take.

He later said top US officials, including Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, would work with a team to help run Venezuela.

Trump refused to rule out the possibility of further US military involvement. "We're not afraid of boots on the ground," he said.

Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said at the press conference that the US troops will remain in the region following large-scale strikes on Venezuela and the capture of Maduro.

"As we stand here this morning, our forces remain in the region at a high state of readiness, prepared to project power, defend themselves and our interests in the region," Caine said.

ALSO READ: Venezuelan president says ready for dialogue with US on combating drug trafficking

Asked about a possible US military presence in Venezuela during the transition period, Trump said: "No, we're going to have a presence in Venezuela as it pertains to oil because we're sending our expertise. You may need something, not very much."

Trump said he plans to authorize US oil giants to take over and invest in Venezuela's energy infrastructure and "start making money for the country," adding that the embargo on all Venezuelan oil "remains in full effect."

"Very importantly, the embargo on all Venezuelan oil remains in full effect. The American armada remains poised in position, and the United States retains all military options until United States demands have been fully met and fully satisfied," said Trump.

"We're going to be taking out a tremendous amount of wealth out of the ground. That wealth is going to the people of Venezuela and people from outside of Venezuela that used to be in Venezuela," Trump claimed. "It goes also to the United States of America in the form of reimbursement for the damages caused us by that country."

By raiding Maduro and launching months of military pressure campaign, Trump said his administration has "superseded" the Monroe Doctrine laid out in the early 19th century.

A number of "No War on Venezuela" protests are planned for Washington, DC, Chicago, New York and other cities across the United States later on Saturday.

"We need to take to the streets and say no to another endless war! The people of this country do not want another war! A US war would cause death and destruction for the people of Venezuela," the Answer Coalition, one of the organizers, said in a news release.

The latest US strikes on Venezuela and its capture of Maduro have drawn worldwide condemnation and concern.

READ MORE: Trump says US strikes ‘dock area’ in Venezuela

Shortly after the strike started, the Venezuelan government denounced the "military aggression" by the United States, adding that the strike targeted civilian and military sites in at least four states of the country.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was deeply alarmed by the US military actions, his spokesperson said in a statement.

"The Secretary-General continues to emphasize the importance of full respect -- by all -- of international law, including the UN Charter. He's deeply concerned that the rules of international law have not been respected," said the statement issued by spokesperson Stephane Dujarric.

Russia strongly urged the US leadership to release Maduro and his wife, the Russian foreign ministry said Saturday.

In a statement, the ministry called on the United States to reconsider its position regarding Maduro and his wife.

The statement also stressed the need to create conditions for resolving any existing issues between the United States and Venezuela through dialogue.

Earlier in the day, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Russia will continue to support the course pursued by the Venezuelan government to protect its national interests and sovereignty during his phone call with Venezuela's Vice-President Rodriguez.

In Havana, Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel on Saturday condemned what he described as the "criminal attack" by the United States against Venezuela, demanding an urgent response from the international community.

In a social media post, the president said that Latin America was being brutally assaulted, and called it "state terrorism against the brave people of Venezuela and against Our America."

Iran's Foreign Ministry on Saturday strongly condemned the US military attack on Venezuela, calling it a "flagrant violation" of the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

In a statement, the ministry described the attack as an "act of aggression" and a clear breach of the fundamental principles of the United Nations Charter and international law prohibiting the use of force against sovereign states.

Brazil's interim Foreign Minister Maria Laura da Rocha on Saturday said Brazil recognizes Venezuela's Vice-President Rodriguez as the head of state in the absence of Maduro.

She added Brazil will continue to support international law, and all countries in safeguarding their sovereignty, and oppose any form of territorial aggression.

On the same day, the Brazilian Foreign Ministry said in a statement that President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva reiterated his previous position and condemned the US attack on Venezuela as well as the capture of Maduro and his wife.

European leaders and governments expressed strong concern on Saturday following the US military action in Venezuela, stressing the need to respect international law and the UN Charter, while calling for de-escalation and dialogue.

Respect international law

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk said on Saturday that he was alarmed by US intervention in Venezuela, stressing the need to uphold international law.

Posting on social media, Turk urged all parties to exercise restraint, emphasizing that the protection of people in Venezuela is paramount and must guide any further action.

On social media platform X, European Council President Antonio Costa said the European Union (EU) was following the situation in Venezuela "with great concern" and urged de-escalation, calling for a resolution in full respect of international law and the principles enshrined in the UN Charter. He reaffirmed the EU's support for a peaceful, democratic, and inclusive solution in Venezuela.

Spain also called for "de-escalation" and "responsibility." Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said Madrid was closely following developments and stressed that "international law needs to be respected."

According to official figures, around 136,000 Spanish citizens lived in Venezuela in 2023.

Portugal's Ministry of Foreign Affairs called for a reduction of tensions, respect for international law and the UN Charter, as well as the promotion of public security and calm.

Meanwhile, Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen described the situation as a serious escalation and called for urgent discussion at the UN Security Council, stressing the need to uphold international law.

'Illegal' intervention condemned

France took a firmer stance, with Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot openly opposing the US military operation. In a statement posted on his official X account, he warned that such actions undermine the foundations of international law and could have "serious consequences for global security, which will spare no one."

He stressed that "no lasting political solution can be imposed from outside and that sovereign peoples alone decide their own future." He reiterated France's commitment to the UN Charter as a guiding principle for international action.

In the Netherlands, Foreign Minister David Van Weel called on all parties to prevent further escalation and to comply with international law, while Prime Minister Dick Schoof said the cabinet was closely following developments.

Nordic countries also raised legal concerns. Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide said, "The American intervention in Venezuela is not in line with international law."

Restraint concerns

The German government also voiced deep concern, with its crisis team convened at the Federal Foreign Office earlier on Saturday to assess the situation.

Germany's Foreign Ministry said the situation remained unclear in parts and that Berlin was coordinating closely with international partners while maintaining close contact with its embassy in Caracas.

In Britain, Prime Minister Keir Starmer emphasized that the country was not involved in the US operation. While refraining from immediate political judgment, he stressed the need to establish all the facts and confirmed that efforts were underway to ensure the safety of British nationals in Venezuela.

Starmer said there were about 500 British nationals in Venezuela.