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President Donald Trump said the United States would temporarily take over Venezuela after launching a large-scale surprise attack over the country overnight.
“We are going to lead the country until we can make a safe, appropriate and wise transition,” Trump said during a news conference Saturday morning from his Mar-a-Lago residence in Palm Beach, Florida.
The Venezuela operation “was one of the most astonishing, effective and powerful demonstrations of the United States military,” Trump said.
“Not a single American service member was killed, and not a single piece of American equipment was lost, many helicopters, many planes, many people involved in this fight,” Trump also said.
U.S. President Donald Trump holds a news conference following a U.S. strike on Venezuela in which President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were captured, at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida, U.S., January 3, 2026.
Jonathan Ernst | Reuters
US forces have captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores. The couple were indicted in the Southern District of New York for drug trafficking.
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine said the mission involved “launching more than 150 aircraft across the Western Hemisphere in political coordination, all brought together in time and place to superimpose their effects for a single purpose, to bring an interdiction force into downtown Caracas, while maintaining the element of tactical surprise.”
Smoke rises from the port of La Guaira after explosions and low-flying planes were heard January 3, 2026 in Caracas, Venezuela.
Jesus Vargas | Getty Images
Trump said the United States would lead Venezuela until there was a safe transition of leadership. He also said the United States would lead the country “with a group” and “appoint various people,” without providing details.
According to Trump, Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez was sworn in as president and has been in contact with the secretary of state. Marco Rubio.
“She’s basically willing to do what we think is necessary to make Venezuela great again,” Trump said. Rubio added that Congress was not informed before the operation.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks as U.S. President Donald Trump stands behind him during a news conference following a U.S. strike in Venezuela where President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were captured, from Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida, U.S., January 3, 2026.
Jonathan Ernst | Reuters
In a statement, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said the decision to launch military action in Venezuela without congressional authorization was “reckless.”
“The idea that Trump is considering ruling Venezuela should strike fear into the hearts of all Americans,” Schumer said. “The American people have seen this before and paid a devastating price.”
Mary Ellen O’Connell, a professor at Notre Dame Law School who specializes in international law and conflict resolution, compared the operation to the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
“President Trump is right to take action against illegal drugs, but his actions in Venezuela are not those that have a proven track record,” she said.
“Successful economies require strong, independent courts, fair criminal justice systems and respect for the law,” O’Connell said. “Trump’s actions defy these fundamentals. The best prediction today is that chaos will follow in Venezuela, as happened in Iraq.”
