President Donald Trump announced on Saturday that the United States will run Venezuela until a “safe, proper, and judicious transition can take place,” after Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were captured. The couple was flown to New York, where they face indictments on charges including narco-terrorism, cocaine importation, and weapons offenses.
Trump emphasized that U.S. involvement in Venezuela would extend to the country’s oil industry, describing plans to repair infrastructure and generate economic stability. He warned that the operation should serve as a message to other Venezuelan political and military figures who might threaten U.S. interests or endanger American lives.
Details of the military operation, codenamed “Absolute Resolve,” were outlined by U.S. military officials. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine reported that more than 150 aircraft provided cover for the interdiction force, which descended on Maduro’s Caracas compound in the early hours of January 3. U.S. forces encountered gunfire during the operation but sustained no casualties, and Maduro and Flores surrendered without further incident. The Venezuelan leader was briefly attempting to reach a “safe place” during the raid, Trump remarked, noting that U.S. forces had the compound secured.
The U.S. has increased pressure on Venezuela in recent months, deploying military assets in the Caribbean, intercepting oil tankers, and targeting vessels allegedly carrying drugs. Venezuelan authorities reported civilian casualties in Caracas and surrounding areas and declared a national emergency, condemning the operation as “extremely serious military aggression.”
Venezuelan opposition figures, including Nobel laureate María Corina Machado, welcomed Maduro’s capture, calling it the “hour of freedom.” The U.S. has previously accused Maduro of running a “narco-state” and undermining democratic elections, while Maduro maintains that Washington is seeking control of the country’s oil reserves.
