U.S. Takes Over Venezuela After Capture Of President

(MENAFN- Kashmir Observer) Srinagar- President Donald Trump said Saturday that the United States will temporarily“run” Venezuela following a dramatic overnight U.S. military operation that captured President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, a claim that immediately raised sharp legal, diplomatic and geopolitical questions.

Speaking at a press conference from his Florida residence hours after the raid, Trump said the U.S. would administer Venezuela until what he called a“safe, proper and judicious transition” could be put in place.

“We're going to run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition,” Trump said.“We don't want to be involved with having someone else get in and then have the same situation we've had for years. So we are going to run the country.”

Trump offered no timeline, legal framework or explanation of how such an arrangement would operate under U.S. or international law. He made no reference to elections, international oversight or a Venezuelan-led transitional authority, instead indicating Washington alone would decide when control would be restored.

The comments followed an unprecedented U.S. special forces operation early Saturday that struck military installations in Caracas and removed Maduro, a sitting head of state, from power. U.S. officials said Maduro and Flores were taken from their residence on a military base and flown out of the country aboard a U.S. naval vessel.

Trump later confirmed the couple were being transported to New York to face federal criminal charges, including a newly unsealed indictment accusing them of narco-terrorism conspiracy. The Justice Department had previously indicted Maduro in 2020.

Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a social media post that Maduro and Flores would“soon face the full wrath of American justice on American soil in American courts.”

Oil and U.S. control

At both the Florida press conference and a separate public address, Trump linked the operation to Venezuela's vast oil reserves - the largest in the world, estimated at about 300 billion barrels by the Energy Institute.

“We're going to have our very large United States oil companies go in, spend billions of dollars, fix the badly broken infrastructure and start making money for the country,” Trump said. He described the plan as a“partnership” that would make Venezuelans“rich, independent and safe.”

Trump accused Venezuela's socialist government of having“stolen” an oil industry he said was built with American expertise, calling it“one of the largest thefts of American property in the history of our country.” He said U.S. sanctions on Venezuelan oil would remain in effect and added that the U.S. would sell Venezuelan oil to other countries.

“We're in the oil business,” Trump said when asked about potential fallout with China, Russia and Iran.

China, currently Venezuela's largest oil customer, issued a brief condemnation of Maduro's removal. Analysts said any U.S. move to control Venezuelan oil exports could significantly reshape global energy markets and inflame geopolitical tensions.

The capture operation

According to U.S. and Venezuelan accounts, the operation began shortly before dawn Saturday. Residents of Caracas reported multiple explosions and low-flying aircraft over the capital. At least seven blasts were heard, followed by smoke rising from military facilities.

Video verified by The Associated Press showed tracer fire and smoke lighting up the night sky, with explosions visible near military installations. Smoke was seen rising from a hangar at a Caracas military base, while another installation lost power.

The attack lasted less than 30 minutes. Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez said some civilians and members of the military were killed, without providing a figure. Trump said some U.S. forces were injured but believed none were killed.

Venezuelan ruling party leader Nahum Fernández told the AP that Maduro and Flores were captured at their home inside the Ft. Tiuna military complex.

“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.”

Under Venezuela's constitution, Rodríguez would assume power in Maduro's absence, though there was no confirmation that had occurred. She issued a statement demanding proof of life for Maduro and Flores.

Legal and historical parallels

The Trump administration has not publicly detailed the legal authority for either the military strike or the proposed U.S. administration of Venezuela. While Washington does not recognize Maduro as Venezuela's legitimate president, legal scholars note that non-recognition does not itself confer the right to invade or govern another country.

The episode drew immediate comparisons to the 1990 U.S. invasion of Panama, which resulted in the capture of leader Manuel Antonio Noriega and his transfer to the United States to face drug trafficking charges. That operation, while widely criticized, stopped short of Washington declaring it would govern Panama.

Trump said U.S. forces had prepared for a second wave of military action but decided it was unnecessary due to the success of the initial strike, adding that further action remained an option.

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