U.S. President Donald Trump has declared that the United States will directly run Venezuela following the capture of President Nicolás Maduro, marking one of the most dramatic assertions of American power in the Western Hemisphere in decades.
Speaking at a high-stakes press conference, Trump said Washington would govern Venezuela until a “safe, proper and judicious transition” of power is secured. Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, are being transferred to New York to face federal indictments, Trump confirmed, citing what he called “overwhelming evidence” of narco-terrorism, weapons trafficking and crimes against the United States.
“The American armada remains poised, in position, and the United States retains all military options,” Trump warned, adding that the operation should serve as a message to any leader who threatens U.S. interests. “What happened to Maduro can happen to them.”
Trump framed the assault as a historic military achievement, claiming Venezuelan military capacity was neutralized in a single night without the loss of a single American service member. He described the raid in Caracas as a “spectacular assault” on a heavily fortified compound, comparing its scale and precision to operations unseen since World War II.
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth echoed the message, calling the strike proof that America can project power “anywhere, anytime.” “Welcome to 2026,” he said. “Under President Trump, America is back.”
Beyond security, Trump openly linked the intervention to Venezuela’s vast oil reserves. He said U.S. energy giants would soon enter the country, invest billions, rebuild collapsing infrastructure and restart large-scale production. “We’re going to fix what was broken and start making money for the country,” he said.
International reaction has been explosive. Russia demanded the immediate release of Maduro, calling him the “legally elected president of a sovereign state.” Inside Venezuela, opposition leaders signaled readiness to seize the moment, with Edmundo González and María Corina Machado calling the coming hours “decisive” for rebuilding the nation.
Trump has warned that a second, larger strike is ready if needed — though he claimed the first operation was so decisive it may not be necessary.
The message from Washington is unmistakable: this is no longer pressure, sanctions, or diplomacy. This is direct control — and a radical reshaping of power in the Americas.
