North Korea denounces US capture of Maduro as ‘serious encroachment of sovereignty’

North Korea condemns US Maduro capture

North Korea denounced on Sunday the United States' capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro as a "serious encroachment of sovereignty", state media said.

Pyongyang's foreign ministry "strongly denounces the US hegemony-seeking act committed in Venezuela", said a ministry spokesperson in a statement carried by the official KCNA.

"The incident is another example that clearly confirms once again the rogue and brutal nature of the US," they added.

Following their capture and transport to the United States, Maduro and his wife were flown by helicopter to New York City, where they face drug-trafficking and weapons charges.

They were seized by US special forces during a pre-dawn attack Saturday in which air strikes pounded sites in and around the Venezuelan capital Caracas.

The raid represents a nightmare scenario for North Korea's leadership, which has long accused Washington of seeking to remove it from power.

Pyongyang has for decades justified its nuclear and missile programmes as a deterrent against alleged regime change efforts by Washington.

And it was a vocal backer of Maduro's socialist regime in Caracas.

Pyongyang described his removal as a "wanton violation of the UN Charter and international laws with respect for sovereignty, non-interference and territorial integrity as their main purpose".

It called for "voices of due protest and denunciation against the US habituated violation of sovereignty of other countries".