In a move that shocked the world, US forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, in Caracas and transported them to New York to face criminal charges. The operation involved multiple branches of the US military and marks an unprecedented level of US intervention in the South American nation.
President Donald Trump announced that the United States would take temporary control of Venezuela, overseeing the country until a “safe, proper and judicious transition” could be arranged. “We can’t take a chance that somebody else takes over Venezuela who doesn’t have the good of the Venezuelan people in mind,” he said during a news conference at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida.
US to Oversee Interim Leadership
Trump said the administration would run Venezuela with a designated leadership team, highlighting Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine as key figures. Despite repeated questions from reporters, Trump offered few specifics on the interim governance plan.
At one point, Trump claimed that Venezuela’s vice president, Delcy Rodríguez, had been sworn in as Maduro’s successor and was “willing to do what we think is necessary to make Venezuela great again.” However, no confirmation has come from Venezuelan authorities.
Trump also indicated that US oil companies would be deployed to rebuild the country’s heavily damaged oil infrastructure. “We’re going to spend billions of dollars, fix the badly broken infrastructure, and start making money for the country,” he said, adding that a “second and much larger attack” could be launched if necessary.
Legal Justification and International Backlash
US Secretary of State Rubio defended the operation, calling it a law enforcement mission supported by the military and not requiring Congressional approval. Maduro, he said, had been indicted in 2020 and was considered a fugitive from American justice with a $50 million reward. Trump added that Congress was not informed to prevent leaks of operational details.
The operation drew sharp criticism from Democrats, with Senator Mark Warner warning that it sets a dangerous international precedent. “If the United States claims the right to invade and capture foreign leaders it accuses of criminal conduct, what stops China from acting against Taiwan, or Russia from acting against Ukraine?” he said. Warner also cited what he called hypocrisy, contrasting the operation with Trump’s pardon of former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández, who was convicted of serious drug trafficking charges in the US.
Support and Risks Ahead
Republicans largely supported the operation. Senator Roger Wicker, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, praised the mission as the culmination of months of efforts to dismantle criminal networks under Maduro. “The Venezuelan people must now act swiftly to put their country back on a path to peace and prosperity,” Wicker said.
Analysts, however, warned of potential instability. Daniel DePetris, a fellow at the Defense Priorities think tank, said Venezuela could face a split in its military, the rise of criminal groups, civil conflict, or the emergence of an even more authoritarian leader. “Whether this change will be positive or negative in the long term remains to be seen,” he said.
The Trump administration’s rationale for acting against Maduro has shifted over recent months, citing drug trafficking, reclaiming oil resources, and promoting democracy. Yet DePetris noted that Venezuela is already a deeply weakened state. “In reality, Venezuela is a bankrupt country whose economy has collapsed over the last decade,” he said, questioning claims of an imminent threat to US security.
