Trump claims that after Maduro is apprehended in a military operation, the US will rule Venezuela until a “safe transition”
Trump claims that after seizing President Maduro in a surprise military operation, the US will be in charge of Venezuela.
Following overnight military assaults that resulted in President Nicolás Maduro’s detention, US President Donald Trump has said that the US will temporarily rule Venezuela until a “safe, proper, and judicious transition” can occur.
At a press conference on Saturday, Trump stated that no US service members were killed in the operation and cautioned that Washington was ready to launch a second, “much larger” attack if needed. Trump posted a picture he said showed Maduro blindfolded on board the USS Iwo Jima just before he spoke to reporters.
The US attorney general declared that Maduro will “face the full wrath of American justice on American soil in American courts” after he was previously charged with cocaine trafficking and guns in New York. Since then, Venezuela has proclaimed a state of emergency and denounced what it called “extremely serious military aggression.”
Operation Absolute Resolve, as it was code-named, was described by US authorities as achieving “total surprise” after months of intelligence collection. Before reaching Maduro’s compound at 01:01 ET, US soldiers removed Venezuelan air defense systems, according to General Dan Caine. Helicopters were fired upon, but the military reacted with “overwhelming force.”
According to US sources, one helicopter was struck, but every aircraft made a safe return. After turning themselves in, Maduro and his spouse were arrested and flown to the USS Iwo Jima at 03:29 ET.
The mission, which involved more than 150 aircraft and coordinated efforts by soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines, intelligence agencies, and law enforcement, was described by General Caine as “discreet” and “precise.” According to him, the timing was selected to maximize the element of surprise and minimize injury to civilians.
Washington’s increased role in nation-building has been questioned and the intervention has been compared to previous US efforts in Latin America. This measure may cause political backlash at home and international censure.
