President Donald Trump on Saturday said the United States is going to run Venezuela until a safe transition of power can take place, hours after US forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in an overnight military operation.
Speaking at a news conference at his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida, Trump said the United States planned to run Venezuela during the interim period. He claimed the American presence was already in place, though there were no immediate signs that the US was running the country.
“We're going to run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition,” Trump said, adding that the operation was an “extremely successful operation should serve as warning to anyone who would threaten American sovereignty or endanger American lives.”
Trump also said Washington was not afraid of deploying troops on the ground in Venezuela following Maduro’s arrest. "We're not afraid of boots on the ground," he told reporters.
The US president said it would take time to hand over the operation of Venezuela, citing the need to rebuild infrastructure. He also said the United States would get oil flowing “like it should be” and claimed there was nobody to take over leadership in Venezuela.
"The American armada remains poised in position, and the United States retains all military options until United States demands have been fully met and fully satisfied," he said.
"I told Maduro you got to surrender, now he wished he did," he said. He described the mission as “one of the most stunning, effective and powerful displays of American military might and competency,” claiming that all Venezuelan military capacity had been rendered powerless.
"Remaining Maduro allies now acting differently," Trump said, adding, "We know who the bad elements in Maduro regime are, we are on them." He also said the United States was ready to launch another attack if necessary. "We are ready to stage a second attack if we need to do so," he said.
Trump said Rubio had spoken to Venezuela’s vice president to make the country “great again,” though there was no word from the Venezuelan government, according to the Associated Press. "Vice president of Venezuela said we will do whatever you need," he added.
According to the Associated Press, Trump said the United States will tap Venezuela's vast oil reserves and sell “large amounts” to other countries after Maduro’s ouster. At the same time, Trump said a US embargo on all Venezuelan oil remains in full effect.
The US president also indicated that Cuba could become a topic of discussion as part of broader US policy in the region, suggesting Washington could expand its focus beyond Venezuela amid rising tensions in Latin America.
The United States seized Maduro and flew him out of the country early Saturday in what officials described as the culmination of months of escalating pressure by the Trump administration on the oil-rich South American nation.
US President Donald Trump posted a picture of Nicolas Maduro on board the USS Iwo Jima. (Truth Social/@realDonaldTrump)
Maduro and his wife were taken overnight from their home on a military base and placed aboard a US warship bound for New York, where they are to face criminal charges.
Trump expressed doubt about whether Venezuela’s opposition leader Maria Corina Machado could run the country, saying she does not have the support or respect of the people. He told reporters that he had not been in touch with Machado following Maduro’s arrest.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the Trump administration notified members of Congress about the military operation in Venezuela immediately after it was carried out.
"This is not the kind of mission that you can do congressional notification on," Rubio said. "It was a trigger-based mission in which conditions had to be met night after night."
"Congress has a tendency to leak," added Trump.
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine said Trump ordered the US military at 10:46 p.m. ET on Friday to move forward with the Venezuela mission.
The top US military officer said the operation involved more than 150 aircraft and was carried out on Trump’s direct orders.
