Trump: U.S. to Run Venezuela Until a Safe Transition
Maduro “effed around and he found out...”
This article originally appeared on ZeroHedge and was republished with permission.
Guest post by Tyler Durden
President Trump discussed the military action in Venezuela with perhaps the most notable aspect of his address being the confirmation that the US will run Venezuela until a safe transition can be undertaken:
*TRUMP: AT MY DIRECTION, US CONDUCTED OPERATION ‘MIDNIGHT HAMMER’ IN VENEZUELA
*TRUMP: AIR, LAND, SEA USED TO LAUNCH ASSAULT ON CARACAS
*TRUMP: ASSAULT WAS TO BRING MADURO TO JUSTICE
*TRUMP: US SUCCESSFULLY CAPTURED MADURO ‘IN DEAD OF NIGHT’
*TRUMP: CALLS MADURO A DRUG ‘KINGPIN’
*TRUMP: MADURO WILL STAND TRIAL ON AMERICAN SOIL
*TRUMP: NO AMERICAN SERVICEMEMBER WAS KILLED
*TRUMP: NOT A PIECE OF AMERICAN EQUIPMENT WAS LOST
*TRUMP: WILL STAGE SECOND, LARGER ATTACK IF NEEDED, BUT PROBABLY NOT NECESSARY NOW
*TRUMP: WE WILL RUN VENEZUELA UNTIL WE CAN DO SAFE, PROPER, JUDICIOUS TRANSITION
*TRUMP: CAN’T TAKE A CHANCE THAT SOMEONE TAKES OVER VENEZUELA
*TRUMP: REPEATS CLAIM THAT VENEZUELA SEIZED, SOLD AMERICAN OIL
*TRUMP: US OIL COMPANIES WILL SPEND BILLIONS ON INFRASTRUCTURE
*TRUMP: PARTNERSHIP WITH US WILL MAKE VENEZUELANS RICH, SAFE
*TRUMP: VENEZUELANS WILL BE HAPPY
*TRUMP: REASSERTING AMERICAN POWER IN ‘OUR HOME REGION’
*TRUMP: US RETAINS ALL MILITARY OPTIONS UNTIL DEMANDS MET
*TRUMP: WE HAVE SUPERCEDED MONROE DOCTRINE
*TRUMP: WHAT HAPPENED TO MADURO CAN HAPPEN TO OTHERS IN VENZ.
President Trump described Maduro’s capture during a press briefing Saturday at Mar-a-Lago, describing it as an “extraordinary military operation,” adding that no U.S. service members were killed in the process.
“Overwhelming American military power, air, land and sea was used to launch a spectacular assault, and it was an assault like people have not seen since World War II,” Trump said.
“We’re going to run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition,” Trump said Saturday at a press conference at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.
“So we don’t want to be involved with having somebody else get in, and we have the same situation that we had for the last long period of years.”
“We can’t take a chance that somebody else takes over Venezuela that doesn’t have the good of the Venezuelan people in mind,” Trump said Saturday in a news conference in Palm Beach, Florida.
“We’re going to stay until such time as the proper transition can take place.”
Additionally, President Trump said Saturday he would allow American oil companies to head into Venezuela to tap its massive crude reserves:
“We’re going to have our very large United States oil companies, the biggest anywhere in the world, go in, spend billions of dollars, fix the badly broken infrastructure, the oil infrastructure, and start making money for the country,” Trump told a press conference.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the military operation required months of planning.
“Nicolás Maduro had his chance, just like Iran had their chance. Until they didn’t and he didn’t.” Hegseth said.
“He effed around and he found out.”
General Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, explained the operation (using a different name than President Trump):
“This operation, known as Operation Absolute Resolve, was discreet, precise, and conducted during the darkest hours of January 2nd.”
He said it followed months of preparation and rehearsal.
“It was the culmination of months of planning and rehearsal, an operation that, frankly, only the United States military could undertake.”
Watch President Trump’s address to the nation here:
***
Update 10:30am EST: The international reaction to America’s bombing campaign against Venezuela, during which time US special forces did a grab and nab of longtime President Nicolás Maduro has been predictably mixed.
Global leftist leaders condemned a US attack in Venezuela that led to the capture of Nicolas Maduro in Caracas.
Brazil, Russia, Colombia, Mexico, and Cuba rejected the US military action, with some calling for a meeting of the United Nations Security Council.
While Europe has issued statements of placid acceptance - and also generally a ‘wait and see’ type approach - the reaction from BRICS countries and Washington rivals has been one of horror and swift condemnation.
First Russia: Moscow quickly condemned the blatant “act of armed aggression” against a sitting head of state and Russian ally, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. “In the current situation, it is important … to prevent further escalation and to focus on finding a way out of the situation through dialogue,” the ministry added.
“The pretexts used to justify these actions are untenable,” Moscow stressed. “Russia reaffirms its solidarity with the Venezuelan people.”
“Venezuela must be guaranteed the right to determine its own destiny without any destructive, military intervention from outside.
“We reaffirm our solidarity with the Venezuelan people and our support for its leadership’s policy of defending the country’s national interests and sovereignty,” it added.
Second Iran: Tehran itself has been in Trump’s crosshairs this week against ongoing protests focused on economic hardship in the country, amid crippling US-led sanctions and coming off a recent, brief war with Israel.
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei wrote on X, “What’s important is when one realizes an enemy wants to force something on one’s govt. or nation with false claims, they must stand firmly against that enemy.”
At this moment, however, there have been scant signs of any real fight or resistance on the part of the Venezuelan Army, suggesting this could have had help from the inside, akin to a coup which had the support of the US.
“We won’t give in to them. With reliance on God & confidence in the people’s support, we’ll bring the enemy to its knees,” Iran’s top cleric added.
EU leadership shrugs after long lecturing the world on the so-called “rules-based order”...
Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs separately said it “strongly condemns the American military attack on Venezuela and the flagrant violation of the national sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country.”
As for China, we know what they think, given the timing is a hugely symbolic shot across Beijing’s bow by Trump:
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro received a Chinese government representative at the presidential palace in Caracas on Friday, hours before US President Donald Trump claimed Maduro had been captured following American military strikes.
Maduro met Qiu Xiaoqi, special representative of the Chinese government on Latin American affairs, at the Miraflores Palace.
“I had a pleasant meeting with Qiu Xiaoqi, Special Envoy of President Xi Jinping,” Maduro said on Telegram. “We reaffirmed our commitment to the strategic relationship that is progressing and strengthening in various areas for building a multipolar world of development and peace.”
Insane timing...
Mexico’s reaction: “The Mexican government strongly condemns and rejects the military actions carried out unilaterally in recent hours by the armed forces of the United States of America against targets in the territory of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, in clear violation of Article 2 of the Charter of the United Nations,” according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
“Mexico emphatically reiterates that dialogue and negotiation are the only legitimate and effective means of resolving existing differences, and therefore reaffirms its willingness to support any efforts to facilitate dialogue, mediation, or accompaniment that contribute to preserving regional peace and avoiding confrontation.”
UK Prime Minister Kier Starmer shrugs, using an ambiguous and caution statement: “I want to establish the facts first. I want to speak to President Trump. I want to speak to allies. I can be absolutely clear that we were not involved ... and I always say and believe we should all uphold international law,” Starmer said.
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said the strike in Venezuela was a “serious affront” to the country’s sovereignty.
The bombings on Venezuelan territory and the capture of its president cross an unacceptable line. These acts represent a most serious affront to Venezuela’s sovereignty and yet another extremely dangerous precedent for the entire international community,” he wrote on X.
“ Attacking countries, in flagrant violation of international law, is the first step toward a world of violence, chaos, and instability, where the law of the strongest prevails over multilateralism.”
“The Government of Colombia rejects the aggression against the sovereignty of Venezuela and of Latin America,” Colombian President Gustavo Petro wrote Saturday on X, translated from Spanish.
“Internal conflicts between peoples are resolved by those same peoples in peace. That is the principle of the self-determination of peoples, which forms the foundation of the United Nations system. I invite the Venezuelan people to find the paths of civil dialogue and their unity. Without sovereignty, there is no nation. Peace is the way, and dialogue between peoples is fundamental for national unity. Dialogue and more dialogue is our proposal,” he added.
He called on the United Nations to “respond vigorously” to the attacks.
Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, the first secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba, said the operation to capture Maduro was a “criminal attack,” adding that “our zone of peace is being brutally assaulted.”
The capture of Nicolas Maduro is likely to have a significant impact across the region, with some leaders welcoming the intervention and others expressing concern over instability and potential migration.
***
The Venezuelan capital of Caracas was hit with overnight shock and awe after military operations resulted in extensive infrastructure damage and power outages. The scope of the operation is not yet clear, but a US official told Reuters Saturday morning on condition of anonymity that the strikes were indeed being carried out by the US military. Initial reports suggested not only US airstrikes but also Special Operations troops on the ground in Caracas.
The explosions across the capital city came after President Donald Trump deployed a navy task force to the Caribbean and raised the possibility of ground strikes against Venezuela over the past week. It would appear that these threats were not idle.
TRUMP COMPARES MADURO’S CAPTURE TO IRAN’S SOLEIMANI, ISIS
TRUMP: PLANNED TO GET MADURO 4 DAYS AGO, BUT WEATHER WAS BAD
TRUMP ON CARTELS: SOMETHING WILL TO HAVE TO BE DONE WITH MEXICO
TRUMP: MADURO TRIED TO NEGOTIATE AT THE END, I SAID NO
VENEZUELA VICE PRESIDENT DELCY RODRIGUEZ IS IN RUSSIA: REUTERS
TRUMP SAYS MADURO NOW ON A US SHIP AND BEING TAKEN TO NEW YORK
Maduro has already been indicted in federal court in New York, per a statement from AG Pam Bondi.
Trump took to his Truth Social account to announce that Venezuelan socialist leader Nicolas Maduro and his wife had been captured and were en route by air out of the country.
In late 2025, Trump reportedly gave Maduro an ultimatum via phone: resign immediately, and Trump would offer safe passage for Maduro, his wife, and son, but Maduro refused, demanding amnesty and control over the military, which the U.S. rejected.
Suspicions of a larger US action have been escalating for weeks as the Trump Admin pursued targeted strikes against alleged drug smuggling ships running like the Pony Express from Venezuela to waiting couriers in the Caribbean.
This was part of a broader campaign by Trump to oust Maduro, who is accused of corruption, drug trafficking, and helping to engineer the US migrant crisis, which resulted in numerous incidents of Venezuelan cartel militants (Tren de Aragua) engaging in kidnapping, torture, and murder on US soil. Maduro continued to deny any government involvement in the spread of these cartels and rejected evidence that his government benefits from billions of dollars in drug money transferred by cartels from the US into the Venezuelan economy.
Critics assert that the operation goes against Trump’s campaign promise to end the “forever war” policies of establishment elites (libertarians will probably be furious). However, from Trump’s perspective, eliminating a hostile communist regime that is a key ally of China and Russia in the western hemisphere fits directly into the administration’s “America First” policy.
If the accusations against Maduro are true, then his government would represent a long-term threat to the stability of the US. And, it would appear that a “forever war” is not in the cards with Maduro in custody.
Furthermore, Venezuela is not the only country south of the border that protects the activities of drug cartels. It’s not the only country that helps migrants flood into the US.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has made multiple threats against the US in response to the strict border security and deportations. She is also suspected of shielding cartel operations from US interference. Sheinbaum is likely questioning her life decisions today as it becomes clear that Trump was not bluffing about replacing Maduro.
There is the issue of global political tensions with China and Russia and unrest in America as leftist activists once again exploit the event as an excuse to organize street mobs (as soon as the weather warms up, of course).
Then there is the question of the fast-approaching midterm elections. Trump will need to present clear justifications to the American people for grabbing a foreign leader.
If Trump stumbles on this, Democrats will seize on every opportunity label him a warmonger. They will assert that Trump is empire-building, trying to steal oil, and that Venezuela is “just the beginning.” Keep in mind, these are the same people who tried to rally Americans to support WWIII against Russia over Ukraine, but that fact will be glossed over in favor of the narrative that the Dems will “bring peace and stability.”
On the other hand, many conservatives are taking a “F*ck Venezuela” approach and argue that it’s high time something was done about an abusive and corrupt communist enclave in America’s backyard. Only time will tell if Trump’s actions garner favor or anger from his voter base.
Copyright 2026 ZeroHedge
Wow. No international mandate, just unprovoked attack on another country.
American foreign policy, at its warpiggery, mayhem-generating normal.