Trump Says US Will ‘Run Venezuela’ Until Safe Power Transfer

United States President, Donald Trump, has said that the US will take charge of Venezuela until a “proper transition can take place” following a large-scale overnight strike that led to the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores,

Speaking during a late-morning press conference in Washington on Saturday, Trump said the US military successfully carried out “Operation Absolute Resolve,” which removed the Venezuelan leader from power and evacuated him and his wife from Caracas.

“We are going to run the country until a safe transition can take place,” Trump declared. “No nation in the world could achieve what America achieved yesterday or frankly, in such a short period of time.”

The unprecedented strike, Washington’s most direct intervention in Latin America since the 1989 invasion of Panama began early Saturday morning with a series of coordinated air and ground operations. According to Trump, Maduro and his wife were captured inside Fort Tiuna, a heavily guarded military installation in Caracas.

Venezuelan ruling party leader Nahum Fernández confirmed to the Associated Press that the couple were inside the facility when “bombs struck.”

“That’s where they bombed,” Fernández said. “And there, they carried out what we could call a kidnapping of the president and the first lady of the country.”

Trump later told Fox News that Maduro and his wife were aboard the USS Iwo Jima en route to New York, where they would face trial.

US Attorney General Pam Bondi confirmed that Maduro and Flores had been indicted in the Southern District of New York.

“They will soon face the full wrath of American justice on American soil in American courts,” Bondi posted on X (formerly Twitter).

Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the complex operation took several months to plan and involved “every component of the U.S. Joint Forces,” including intelligence agencies and law enforcement.

He said Trump gave the final order to proceed on Friday night after favourable weather conditions were confirmed.

“A total of 150 aircraft were deployed from 20 different bases on land and sea,” Caine said.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, speaking at the same briefing, reiterated that the United States does not recognise Maduro as Venezuela’s legitimate leader.

“This is not a coup. Maduro was never the legitimate president of Venezuela,” Rubio stated. “This marks the beginning of Venezuela’s liberation.”

In Caracas, at least seven explosions were reported overnight, shaking parts of the capital and leaving sections of the city without power. Eyewitnesses described low-flying aircraft, tracer fire, and billowing smoke from several military installations.

The Venezuelan government condemned the assault as an “imperialist attack” and called on citizens to “defend the homeland.” Vice President Delcy Rodríguez, who under Venezuelan law would assume power, demanded proof that Maduro and his wife were alive.

“We do not know the whereabouts of President Nicolás Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores,” Rodríguez said. “We demand proof of life.”

Trump, however, insisted both were “in U.S. custody” and would be treated “humanely and lawfully.”

Maduro’s capture follows years of U.S. sanctions and escalating pressure over allegations of election fraud and narcotics trafficking. He was indicted in 2020 on “narco-terrorism” conspiracy charges by a New York court.

Utah Senator Mike Lee said Rubio had informed him that “no further U.S. military action” was planned in Venezuela now that Maduro was in custody.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has since banned U.S. commercial flights over Venezuelan airspace due to “ongoing military activity.”

In Venezuela, armed civilian militias were seen patrolling parts of Caracas, while other neighborhoods remained deserted.

Video verified by the Associated Press showed smoke rising from a military base and flashes of explosions lighting up the night sky.

Despite reports of casualties, Trump said no U.S. soldiers were killed, though “some sustained injuries.” Venezuelan officials said both civilians and soldiers had died but gave no figures.