A Venezuelan-Canadian living in Windsor says he was 'happily surprised' to see Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro captured by the United States.
"I was happily surprised to see that Nicolas Maduro had been caught and apprehended and removed from the capital and from power, I guess," says Luis Mendez.
Speaking on AM800's Mornings with Mike and Meg, Mendez says he still has family members living in Venezuela, who say there is a lot of uncertainty after the capture and fear for their lives.
He says some family members heard Saturday's strikes.
"Family members that were sharing with me that they could feel the thundering in the skies, on the roof, and on the ground," he says.
Mendez believes Venezuelans are not opposed to Maduro being removed.
"The reality is as a Venezuelan community, we had done everything democratically possible to remove him from power," says Mendez. "Just a year and a half ago, in 2024, he actually lost the election by a standing 70 to 30 and maintained and kept himself in power, saying that it was rigged."
He says Venezuela is a very rich country when it comes to its natural resources.
"What people don't realize is the U.S. being involved right now; if it wasn't the U.S., it's been Russia, China," he says. "Like, this is not new, and ultimately speaking, we were very happy to see the U.S. step in and remove him, but the issue that we're having now is the uncertainty of what's going to happen."
Maduro is making his first appearance in an American courtroom. Maduro and his wife were taken into court Monday to face a judge in New York.
Maduro is accused of narco-terrorism and drug trafficking.
Maduro wore a blue jail uniform.
President Donald Trump's administration used the criminal charges to justify capturing Maduro and removing him to U.S. soil.
Maduro's lawyers are expected to contest the legality of his arrest, arguing he's immune from prosecution as a sovereign head of state.
Venezuela's new interim president, Delcy Rodriguez, has demanded the U.S. return Maduro, who has long denied any involvement in drug trafficking.