Sometimes the most unlikely political careers have the most dramatic endings. Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, whose journey began driving buses for a living, was apprehended by U.S. forces on Saturday in what could mark a turning point for the troubled nation.

Maduro's rise through Venezuela's political ranks reads like something out of a novel. Starting as a unionized bus driver, he climbed the ladder within the ruling party, serving as a lawmaker and president of the National Assembly before eventually reaching the presidency. Not bad for someone who once collected fares for a living.

But his time in office tells a darker story. Venezuela descended into a brutal socio-political and economic crisis under his watch, with millions falling into poverty and countless others fleeing the country. Government critics found themselves behind bars as the regime tightened its grip on power.

Maduro proved remarkably resilient through it all. He survived an assassination attempt in 2018 and claimed victory in a highly disputed presidential election that same year, despite mounting evidence of irregularities.

According to Fortune, international pressure never let up. The Trump administration slapped economic sanctions on Venezuela, while the International Criminal Court launched an investigation into alleged crimes against humanity. Yet Maduro managed to extract concessions from Washington through negotiations, securing the release of a close ally and getting sanctions relief that allowed Chevron to resume producing and exporting Venezuelan crude. Those oil revenues became a financial lifeline for his government.

Now comes the reckoning. U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced that Maduro and Flores will face charges stemming from an indictment in New York, the culmination of months of intensifying U.S. pressure.

The implications could be massive. Maduro's detention might finally open the door for political change in Venezuela after years of authoritarian rule. The charges in New York could also expose the full extent of the human rights abuses and economic mismanagement that critics have long accused his regime of perpetrating.

For a man who once drove buses through Caracas, Maduro's capture by U.S. forces marks an extraordinary fall from power. As this situation develops, the world will be watching to see what comes next for Venezuela and whether this moment truly signals the end of an era.