By: Alhaji A. Barrie
President Donald Trump announced that the United States will assume control of Venezuela following the dramatic capture of Nicolás Maduro and his wife. Speaking at Mar-a-Lago and in interviews with Fox News, Trump said American forces executed a “spectacular assault” that overwhelmed Venezuelan defenses and brought Maduro into custody. “We are going to run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition,” Trump declared.
The president emphasized that the operation was unprecedented in scale, involving overwhelming air, land, and sea power. He described Maduro’s failed attempt to hide inside a steel fortress before being “bum-rushed” by U.S. forces. Trump praised the mission’s success, noting that no American lives were lost and no equipment damaged. “All Venezuelan military capacities were rendered powerless,” he said.
Senior officials reinforced Trump’s message. War Secretary Pete Hegseth lauded the “guts and glory” of U.S. troops, while Joint Chiefs Chair General Dan Caine detailed how helicopters came under fire but responded with “overwhelming force.” Secretary of State Marco Rubio underscored that Maduro had been indicted in the United States in 2020 and was “not the legitimate president of Venezuela.” He added that the mission was too sensitive for prior congressional notification.
President Trump pledged that U.S. oil companies would invest billions to rebuild Venezuela’s shattered energy infrastructure. He said the American presence would ensure stability and reaffirm U.S. dominance in the Western Hemisphere. “We’re going to have a presence in Venezuela,” Trump stated, promising that the country’s future will be shaped under American oversight until a new government can be safely established.
