New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said he spoke with President Donald Trump directly to register his opposition to the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife by the US military, as he termed the unilateral attack on a sovereign nation an “act of war”. Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores have been indicted in the Southern District of New York and are being brought to the city to face the charges against them. The extraordinary international development has come just two days after Mamdani was sworn-in as New York City Mayor.

Mamdani was briefed on Saturday morning by his administration officials, including his chief of staff and the police commissioner, on the US military capture of the Venezuelan president and his wife, as well as their planned imprisonment in federal custody here in New York City. Mamdani said the “blatant pursuit of regime change” impacts New Yorkers, including Venezuelans who live in the city. “Unilaterally attacking a sovereign nation is an act of war and a violation of federal and international law.”