New Delhi, Jan 4: The United States has announced it will play a central role in governing Venezuela following a large-scale military operation that led to the capture of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, a dramatic escalation that has plunged the country into deep political uncertainty and created a global interest and shockwaves.
According to CNN, US President Donald Trump said American forces carried out “overwhelming” strikes by air, land, and sea before apprehending Maduro in the early hours of Saturday. In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump wrote: “The United States of America has successfully carried out a large-scale strike against Venezuela and its leader, President Nicolás Maduro, who has been, along with his wife, captured and flown out of the country.”
Speaking later from his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida, Trump said Washington would take charge of Venezuela until a formal transfer of power is completed. “We’re going to be running it,” he said, adding that the US would ensure a “safe, proper and judicious transition”. He also suggested American oil companies would invest heavily to revive Venezuela’s “badly broken” energy infrastructure.
International media reported that Maduro was flown out of Caracas by US helicopter, taken aboard the USS Iwo Jima in the Caribbean, and later transferred via Guantanamo Bay in Cuba to New York. After landing at Stewart Air National Guard Base, he was moved by helicopter to Manhattan and taken to the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) offices before being transferred to the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn. US Attorney General Pam Bondi said Maduro and his wife have been indicted in the Southern District of New York on charges including conspiracy to commit narco-terrorism, cocaine trafficking, and possession of machine guns and destructive devices. The couple are expected to be arraigned in federal court as early as Monday. Maduro has previously denied allegations that he led a drug trafficking cartel.
Venezuela has reacted sharply to the operation. Foreign Minister Yván Gil Pinto said Caracas had requested an urgent meeting of the United Nations Security Council, declaring that “no cowardly attack will prevail against the strength of this people”. Vice President Delcy Rodríguez demanded the immediate release of Maduro and accused the US of a “savage” attack on Venezuela’s sovereignty, insisting Maduro remains the country’s legitimate leader.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington’s next steps would depend on developments in the coming days. Venezuela has declared a state of national emergency, while the UN Security Council is expected to meet on Monday at the request of Colombia, with support from Russia and China, amid growing international concern over the unfolding crisis.