The United States will temporarily govern Venezuela following a large-scale military strike and the capture of President Nicolás Maduro, US President Donald Trump announced, marking one of the most dramatic escalations in US intervention in Latin America in decades.
Speaking at a press conference at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida on Saturday afternoon local time, Mr Trump said Washington would assume control of Venezuela until a “safe, proper and judicious transition” could be arranged.
“We’re going to run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition,” Mr Trump said. “We don’t want to be involved with having someone else get in and having the same situation we’ve had for a long period of years.”
Mr Trump later confirmed that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, had been captured and removed from the country. According to the US president, the couple were flown by helicopter to the USS Iwo Jima, an American warship, before being transported to New York to face narcoterrorism charges.
“The United States of America has successfully carried out a large-scale strike against Venezuela and its leader,” Mr Trump wrote on Truth Social. “This operation was done in conjunction with US law enforcement.”
Images posted by Mr Trump showed Mr Maduro aboard the USS Iwo Jima, wearing a grey sweatsuit, with his eyes covered and headphones over his ears.
Explosions Rock Caracas
The announcement followed hours of chaos in Venezuela, where loud explosions were heard in Caracas and other cities. An AFP journalist reported hearing powerful blasts around 2:00am local time, with further explosions continuing at least 15 minutes later.
Videos verified by CNN showed explosions at the port of La Guaira, in the coastal city of Higuerote, and smoke rising near Fort Tiuna, home to Venezuela’s Ministry of Defence. Power outages were reported in parts of southern Caracas, near a major military base.
The US Federal Aviation Administration has since banned US aircraft from operating in Venezuelan airspace.
Pentagon Praise, Democratic Anger
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth praised the operation, issuing a blunt warning to America’s adversaries.
“Our adversaries remain on notice. America can project our will anywhere, anytime,” he said, adding that Mr Maduro “effed around and he found out.”
US Vice President JD Vance said Mr Trump had offered multiple chances for de-escalation but made clear that drug trafficking and what Washington calls “stolen oil” had to stop.
“Maduro is the newest person to find out that President Trump means what he says,” Mr Vance wrote on X.
However, the strikes drew sharp criticism from Democratic lawmakers. Senator Brian Schatz said the US had “no vital national interests in Venezuela to justify war,” while Senator Ruben Gallego declared the operation illegal.
“It’s embarrassing that we went from the world cop to the world bully in less than one year,” Mr Gallego said.
International Condemnation and UN Emergency Meeting
Venezuela has declared a state of emergency and requested an urgent meeting of the United Nations Security Council, calling the strikes an “extremely serious military aggression.”
Colombian President Gustavo Petro urged the UN to meet immediately, warning of risks to civilians. Cuba condemned what it called a “criminal attack,” while Spain offered to mediate between Washington and Caracas.
Russia said it was “extremely alarmed” and demanded immediate clarification over what it described as the forcible removal of the Venezuelan president. Iran also condemned the US action.
US Says No Further Action Planned
Republican Senator Mike Lee said US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told him that the military action was limited to securing Mr Maduro’s arrest and protecting US personnel.
“This action likely falls within the president’s inherent authority under Article II of the Constitution,” Mr Lee wrote, adding that no further military action in Venezuela was anticipated.
US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau celebrated the operation, declaring on social media: “A new dawn for Venezuela! The tyrant is gone.”
Warnings Issued to Citizens
The Australian government warned citizens in Venezuela that the security situation was “unpredictable and may deteriorate,” urging them to shelter in place. Similar warnings were issued by US authorities, who reiterated that Venezuela remains a Level 4 “Do Not Travel” destination.
The strikes follow weeks of mounting US pressure on Caracas, including sanctions, informal airspace restrictions, and the seizure of oil tankers. Earlier this week, Mr Trump confirmed US strikes on docking facilities allegedly used by Venezuelan drug traffickers, believed to be linked to the Tren de Aragua gang.
US forces have carried out numerous maritime strikes since September, killing at least 107 people in at least 30 operations, according to US military data. Washington has provided no public evidence linking all targets to drug trafficking, prompting debate over the legality of the campaign.
Mr Maduro has denied all US allegations, insisting Washington’s true aim is control of Venezuela’s vast oil reserves—the largest known in the world.
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