Trump warns of ‘bigger attack’ on Venezuela ‘if needed, says US will ‘run’ country until ‘safe transition’
Speaking after the Friday night assault on what he described as a “heavily fortified military fortress in Caracas,” Trump said, “Overwhelming American military power was used,” adding that the scale and speed of the operation were unmatched in modern history. “A military might like this hasn’t been seen since World War II,” he said.
Trump said the mission was executed without American casualties or losses. “This was one of the most stunning, effective and powerful displays of American military might and competency,” he said, stressing that “not a single American service member [was] killed, nor any military equipment lost.”
Also read: Drugs or more? Why Trump toppled Venezuela’s Maduro
Air, sea and land used in Venezuela operation
According to Trump, the assault involved a full-spectrum deployment. “Air, land and sea was used in [the] Venezuela operation,” he said, arguing that the outcome demonstrated US supremacy. “No nation in the world could achieve what America achieved in just a short period of time,” he added.
Trump also claimed Maduro and his wife face prosecution in the United States. “Maduro, [and his] wife [are] indicted in the state of New York,” he said, without offering further details.
Framing the intervention as both punitive and corrective, Trump said Washington’s goal was stability and political change. “We want peace, justice for Venezuela,” he said. “We’ll see that a proper transition of power takes place in Venezuela.”
Trump said the United States would directly administer Venezuela during this interim period. “We’re going to run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition,” he said.While declaring the mission a success, Trump warned that military escalation remains an option. “Ready to stage a second, much larger attack if needed,” he said, adding that the US is “prepared for a second, much bigger wave of attack on Venezuela; however, unlikely we’ll need to anymore.”
Trump portrayed the operation as an end to Venezuela’s prolonged suffering. “Venezuela suffered, so much was taken from them,” he said. “Not anymore.”
The US president also pledged American involvement in rebuilding the country’s energy sector. “We’ll fix Venezuela’s oil infrastructure,” Trump said, referring to the oil industry that has deteriorated amid years of economic collapse and sanctions.
From bus driver to president: Venezuela’s Maduro never escaped his predecessor’s shadow
US oil firms to enter Venezuela
Trump said American oil companies would be allowed to operate in Venezuela following Maduro’s capture, signalling a major shift in control over the country’s vast 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,” he said.
Trump said US forces had been prepared for a “second, much bigger” strike as part of the operation to capture Maduro, but said it was ultimately not required.
Also read: US strikes Venezuela’s Caracas as Maduro declares state of emergency
Trump shares image of Maduro in custody
Minutes before his press conference Saturday, Trump posted a photograph of Maduro in custody, offering the first visual confirmation of the Venezuelan leader’s detention following the operation.
“Nicolas Maduro on board the USS Iwo Jima,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform, alongside an image showing Maduro handcuffed and blindfolded aboard a US naval vessel.
In the photograph, Maduro appeared to be wearing noise-cancelling earmuffs along with grey Nike-branded sweatpants and a matching jacket, underscoring the administration’s effort to publicly signal control following the operation.
US strikes on Venezuela: What happened
The United States carried out large-scale military strikes on Venezuela early Saturday, an operation that culminated in the capture of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife and their removal from the country, according to statements by US President Donald Trump.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said, “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.”
Multiple explosions were reported in Caracas around 2 a.m. local time, with residents describing the sound of low-flying aircraft over the capital. Shortly after the blasts, Maduro declared a state of emergency, accusing the United States of launching an attack. The US Federal Aviation Administration had earlier barred American commercial flights from Venezuelan airspace due to “ongoing military activity,” according to the Associated Press.
Venezuela’s government said US forces struck both civilian and military installations across several states. Smoke was seen rising from a hangar at a military base in Caracas, while another military installation in the capital reportedly lost power. Residents in several neighbourhoods rushed into the streets as explosions echoed across the city.
“The whole ground shook. This is horrible. We heard explosions and planes,” said Carmen Hidalgo, a 21-year-old office worker. “We felt like the air was hitting us.”
In an official statement, Venezuela’s government urged supporters to mobilise. “People to the streets!” it said, calling on social and political forces to activate mobilisation plans and denounce what it described as an “imperialist attack.” The statement said Maduro had ordered all national defence plans to be implemented and declared “a state of external disturbance.”
The strikes came amid escalating tensions between Washington and Caracas. Maduro has accused the US of attempting to force a change in government and gain access to Venezuela’s oil reserves, while the Trump administration has defended recent military actions as part of what it describes as an “armed conflict” aimed at disrupting drug trafficking networks.
