Deposed Venezuela President Nicolas Maduro’s first stop on U.S. soil appears to have been in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico.
Maduro was captured by U.S. armed forces on January 3, 2026, and is currently awaiting trial in New York City. Immediately after Maduro’s arrest, Aguadilla Mayor Julio Roldán Concepción alleged that Maduro was taken to his town’s Ramey base, where the Rafael Hernández Airport now operates, after his arrest in Caracas.
Puerto Rico played an instrumental role in the capture of Maduro. In the immediate hours after the U.S. military captured Maduro in the early morning strike, NBC reported that social media users in Ceiba were posting videos of military aircraft flying over the island. The next day, a dozen Air Force F-22 Raptors were seen departing Puerto Rico after having landed there following the attack in Venezuela.
Evidence that Maduro stopped in Puerto Rico
There is evidence that Maduro was transported first to Puerto Rico. One piece of early evidence is the photo posted by Trump on social media showing Maduro clutching a bottle of water. Politico reported that this brand of water is widely available in Puerto Rico. The brand, Nikini, was intentionally developed and branded to appeal to consumers in Puerto Rico. “Its pitch assures consumers they are buying ‘100% pure water, 100% Puerto Rican with minimal environmental impact’,” explained Caribbean Business, a news outlet which is no longer in publication.
While Nikini water is sold in some states, in stores like Home Depot and Walmart, it is not readily available outside of Puerto Rico. Websites for the major retailers list the brand but declare it “unavailable.” The presence of this brand of water in the photo therefore constitutes a clue that Maduro was in Puerto Rico at the time the photos taken.
In addition to that visual evidence, there is the closure of airports in Puerto Rico on that date and the cancellation of all flights off the Island. A first-person report in Esquire magazine says that, while again there was no official confirmation, local residents generally believed that Maduro was in Puerto Rico for 24 hours. A statement from the airport referred to “a security situation.” They also said that “Foreign airlines and military aircraft are not included in this restriction.”
NBC Miami claimed that “U.S. officials said that the aircraft that transported Maduro made a stop in Puerto Rico before heading to New York, which prompted airspace closures across the Caribbean.”
Finally, the military buildup in Puerto Rico has been steadily increasing for months, and reports indicated a major increase in air defense aircraft the day before the mission to Venezuela. Official statements have emphasized that flights into Venezuela originated “in the Caribbean,” and, as a U.S. territory, Puerto Rico is the primary Caribbean hub for the U.S. military.
What does this mean for Puerto Rico?
Puerto Rico’s strategic importance for the United States was a primary reason for the U.S. interest in Puerto Rico in the 19th century, when the newly strengthened Navy became the centerpiece of the overall defense strategy of the United States. Years before the Spanish-American War, the military leaders of the U.S. were making plans involving Puerto Rico.
The Island continued to be of strategic importance through the two World Wars and the Cold War. As communications technology developed, some felt that physical presence in the Caribbean was of less importance, but the increasing influence of China and Russia in Latin America have made it clear that Puerto Rico continues to be essential for U.S. national security.
Recent military buildup on the Island appears to be a response to a new concern about Latin America and the Caribbean on the part of the federal government. Maduro’s apparent first stop in Puerto Rico, as well as the preparation at the former military bases on the Island, confirm the centrality of Puerto Rico.
