US President Donald Trump said Washington will effectively take control of Venezuela following the capture of President Nicolás Maduro in a surprise US military operation, declaring that the United States will “run” the country until what he described as a safe and orderly political transition is achieved.
Speaking at a press conference at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida, Trump said US forces carried out overnight airstrikes on multiple targets in Venezuela before detaining Maduro and his wife and transferring them into US custody.
Trump later posted an image on his Truth Social account that he said showed Maduro aboard the US warship USS Iwo Jima, adding that the Venezuelan leader is being taken to New York to face US charges, DW.COM reports.
Maduro has been indicted in the United States on charges including narco-terrorism conspiracy. Trump said the US presence in Venezuela was already in place and would remain until a “proper and judicious transition” occurs, insisting Washington seeks “peace, liberty and justice” for the Venezuelan people.
He said he was not opposed to deploying US troops on the ground and offered few details on how the US would administer the country during the transition period.
Trump described watching the military operation in real time as “like a television show,” praising its complexity and scale. US General Dan Caine said the operation took months of planning and involved more than 150 aircraft operating across the Western Hemisphere, calling it an exceptionally precise extraction. Trump said no US personnel were killed, though several were injured.
The US president also announced that major American oil companies would enter Venezuela to rehabilitate its oil infrastructure, saying they would invest billions of dollars.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Trump was “deadly serious” about reclaiming oil wealth he claimed had been stolen, while Trump stressed that Washington would be “very strongly involved” in Venezuela’s energy sector.
Trump further warned that US regional policy discussions could expand to include Cuba, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio saying Havana should be “concerned” about Washington’s stance.
Trump also issued a sharp warning to Colombian President Gustavo Petro, a vocal critic of the operation, after Petro condemned the US action as a violation of Latin American sovereignty that could trigger a humanitarian crisis.
International reaction was swift. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen reiterated the EU’s support for a peaceful and democratic transition in Venezuela, while France criticized the US strikes, warning that no lasting political solution can be imposed from outside and that the operation undermined international law.
Russia urged Washington to release Maduro and his wife, calling him the legally elected president of a sovereign state.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was deeply alarmed by the escalation, warning that the US action sets a “dangerous precedent” and could have serious implications for regional stability.
Germany issued a travel warning for Venezuela, urging its citizens to remain in safe locations.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Saturday denied his country’s involvement in the military operation carried out by US forces earlier that day to overthrow the regime in Venezuela.
Starmer stated in a press statement that his government has no connection whatsoever to the American operation, stressing that he has never discussed the matter with US President Donald Trump.
In response to a journalist’s question about condemning the US attack on the Venezuelan capital, Caracas, Starmer said he “needs to know the facts and speak with President Trump first,” stressing that he is working with the British Embassy to ensure the safety and security of British nationals in Venezuela.
Within Venezuela’s opposition, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Corina Machado said opposition candidate Edmundo González should assume the presidency, arguing that Maduro was removed after refusing a negotiated exit. Trump, however, questioned Machado’s support and said she lacked the backing needed to lead the country.
Analysts said the operation signals Washington’s pursuit of regime change and an attempt to reassert US dominance in the Western Hemisphere, while cautioning that public reaction inside Venezuela could determine whether stability or further unrest follows Maduro’s removal.
