US President Donald Trump addresses the media during a news conference at his Mar-a-Lago club on January 03, 2026, in Palm Beach, Florida. (Photo by JOE RAEDLE / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)
Washingotn: US President Donald Trump announced that the United States will manage Venezuela's affairs until a safe, proper, and judicious transition of power is completed.
This came following a military operation that resulted in the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife and their transfer out of the country.
"The United States will run Venezuela until the time comes to complete a safe, proper, and judicious transition of power. We do not want anyone else taking over, and therefore we will manage the country", Trump said at a press conference in Florida on Saturday.
Trump did not specify a timeline for this phase, only stating, "We will remain in Venezuela until the appropriate transition is completed".
He explained that the military operation carried out early Saturday in Caracas was conducted under his direct orders, with participation from US armed forces in coordination with law enforcement agencies, describing it as a very precise operation and noting it was carried out without casualties among US forces.
Trump further confirmed that Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores will face the US judicial system, with charges filed in a court in the Southern District of New York related to what he called drug terrorism, and that they have been transferred to the United States to complete judicial procedures.
In the same context, Trump announced his intention to allow US oil companies to manage Venezuela's energy infrastructure, saying, "We will send the world's largest US oil companies to invest billions of dollars, repair the oil infrastructure, and start generating revenue for the country".
Earlier today, Venezuela witnessed an unprecedented military escalation after the United States carried out a large-scale airstrike called "Operation Absolute Resolve", targeting military sites and critical facilities in Caracas and the states of Miranda, Aragua, and Vargas, including Fort Tiuna and the La Carlota military airport.
The strike came amid heightened tension and US military buildup in the Caribbean, with naval restrictions imposed under the pretext of combating drug trafficking and pressuring the Venezuelan government.
The operation resulted in the capture of the Venezuelan president and his wife and their transfer abroad to face drug trafficking charges, while eliciting varied international and UN responses.
