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President Donald Trump said Saturday that the United States will effectively govern Venezuela following a U.S. military operation that captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, marking a dramatic escalation in Washington’s confrontation with the South American nation.
“We’re going to run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition,” Trump told reporters during a press conference in Florida. “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’s remarks came hours after he announced on Truth Social that U.S. forces had carried out strikes inside Venezuela and detained Maduro and Flores. In a phone interview with Fox News, Trump said the pair were being transported to New York, where Maduro faces federal charges and could appear in court as early as Monday.
The operation, which officials said had been planned for months, was conducted without congressional authorization and immediately drew criticism from Democratic lawmakers, raising constitutional questions and leaving Venezuela’s political future uncertain.
Trump did not specify what it would mean for the U.S. to “run” Venezuela but said American oil companies were prepared to invest billions of dollars to repair the country’s energy infrastructure.
“We’re going to have our very large United States oil companies go in, spend billions of dollars, fix the badly broken infrastructure, and start making money for the country,” Trump said.
He added that the U.S. military was prepared to strike again if necessary and did not rule out deploying ground forces.
“We’re not afraid of boots on the ground,” Trump said. “We’re going to make sure that that country is run properly.”
Trump also insisted the effort would not cost U.S. taxpayers anything, citing Venezuela’s oil reserves.
“It won’t cost us anything, because the money coming out of the ground is very substantial,” he said, adding that some revenue would go to reimburse the U.S. for damages he blamed on Maduro’s government.
Minutes before speaking, Trump posted a photo appearing to show Maduro aboard the USS Iwo Jima, blindfolded and holding a bottle of water, along with video footage of the strikes set to the song “Fortunate Son.”
Charges and Planning
Attorney General Pam Bondi said Saturday that Maduro would “face the full wrath” of the U.S. justice system. An indictment unsealed the same day charges him with narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy, possession of machine guns and destructive devices, and related offenses.
Prosecutors allege that Maduro led a network that facilitated the shipment of thousands of tons of cocaine into the United States, sold passports, and provided protection for drug trafficking operations involving Mexican cartels.
Maduro was first indicted in 2020 during Trump’s first term. He has remained in power since 2013 and was sworn in to a third term last year despite widespread evidence that he did not win the election.
Trump said he had personally reviewed evidence against Maduro, calling it “horrible and breathtaking.”
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine said U.S. forces waited more than a week for weather conditions to align before executing the mission. Trump gave the order at 10:46 p.m. ET Friday, Caine said, and U.S. forces arrived at Maduro’s compound just after 1 a.m. Saturday.
Vice President JD Vance participated in late-night national security meetings leading up to the operation, according to a spokesperson.
A source familiar with the planning said the CIA had maintained a small clandestine presence in Venezuela since August, providing intelligence that made the capture “seamless.”
Political Fallout
Democratic lawmakers quickly condemned the operation, focusing on the lack of congressional approval.
“Maduro is an illegitimate ruler, but I have seen no evidence that his presidency poses a threat that would justify military action without Congressional authorization,” said Rep. Jim Himes of Connecticut, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee.
Sen. Andy Kim of New Jersey said Trump had bypassed the Constitution’s requirements for armed conflict, while Rep. Jerry Nadler of New York called the operation “illegal and unconstitutional.”
Trump dismissed the criticism, calling Democrats “weak” and defending the operation as “genius.” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said congressional notification was impractical given the mission’s weather-dependent timing and accused Congress of having a tendency to leak sensitive information.
Republican leaders largely backed the president. House Speaker Mike Johnson said the operation was “decisive and justified,” while Senate Majority Leader John Thune said he expected further briefings when lawmakers return from recess.
The administration informed the bipartisan leadership of the House and Senate intelligence committees after the operation was underway, according to sources familiar with the matter.
Regional Implications
Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado celebrated the development, writing on X, “Venezuelans, the hour of freedom has arrived.”
Trump also suggested that Cuba could face similar scrutiny, calling it a “failing nation” and saying the U.S. wants to help its people. Rubio added that Cuban officials should be “concerned.”
