WASHINGTON: Donald Trump on Saturday (Jan 3) said the United States will “run” Venezuela until “such time that we can do a safe, proper, and judicious transition” following the capture of President Nicolas Maduro and his wife.
At a press conference detailing their capture, the US president said that, amid a power vacuum, Washington did not want a similar situation with another person coming in, only to have the “same situation for the last long period of years”.
Trump called the operation to capture Maduro and his wife an “assault not seen since World War II”, hailing it as “one of the most stunning and effective displays of American power, might and competence” in history.
Comparing the strikes to Operation Midnight Hammer, which took out Iran’s nuclear facilities last July, and the assassination of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani in 2020, Trump said that all Venezuelan military capabilities were “rendered powerless”.
The operation was a success, with no American casualties and no equipment lost, he added.
Trump confirmed both Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores will face drug and narco-terrorism charges in New York, having earlier posted on his Truth Social platform a picture of Maduro on board the warship USS Iwo Jima.
Trump said earlier on Saturday that US forces had captured Maduro after launching a “large scale strike” on the South American country.
“The United States of America has successfully carried out a large scale strike against Venezuela and its leader, President Nicolas Maduro, who has been, along with his wife, captured and flown out of the country,” Trump said on his Truth Social platform.
Venezuela separately said in a statement that it rejected the “military aggression” by the US.
Attacks took place in the capital of Caracas and the states of Miranda, Aragua and La Guaira, the statement said, prompting the country’s government to declare a national emergency and call on social and political forces to “activate mobilisation plans”.
At least seven explosions and low-flying aircraft were heard around 2am local time (2pm, Singapore time) on Saturday in Caracas.
The Trump administration said that Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, will face the “full wrath of American justice” under drug and terrorism charges.
“Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, have been indicted in the Southern District of New York,” Attorney General Pamela Bondi said on X.
