Trump: “Make Venezuela Great Again”
U.S. forces capture Maduro; Trump vows interim governance and justice in Caracas strike
President Donald J. Trump announced early Saturday that American military forces carried out “large-scale strikes” in Venezuela, capturing President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, and flying them out of the country. Trump declared at a press briefing that the U.S. would “run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition,” declaring it was a “very big evening.”
Trump spoke from Mar-a-Lago just hours after explosions and air operations were reported in Caracas. “Make Venezuela great again,” he said, invoking a slogan that ties the intervention to a promise of liberation and reform for the Venezuelan people.
The President described the operation as an “extraordinary military operation” that involved overwhelming force and elite units. He said U.S. troops and law enforcement worked together to render Venezuelan military capacities “powerless” and secure Maduro’s capture in the capital. Trump added that no U.S. service members were killed and that wounded personnel were expected to recover.
He reiterated that the goal was a “safe, proper and judicious transition,” and said the United States wanted peace, liberty and justice for the people of Venezuela. “We want peace, liberty and justice for the great people of Venezuela,” he told reporters.
Speaking of Venezuela’s oil resources, Trump said, “We’re going to be taking a great amount of wealth out of the ground, and that wealth is going to the people of Venezuela.”
He also confirmed that Maduro and his wife were aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima and would be taken to the United States to face longstanding indictments, including on drug-related charges.
At 10:23 AM on 1/3/2026, the President posted this picture of Maduro on board the Iwo Jima on his Truth Social feed:
The White House briefing underscored Trump’s view of the operation as part of a broader strategy to counter drug trafficking and narco-terrorism in the region — charges U.S. prosecutors have leveled against Maduro and senior Venezuelan officials for years.
Venezuelan authorities immediately denounced the strikes as an imperialist assault on national sovereignty and ordered a general mobilization of forces. Vice President Delcy Rodríguez demanded proof of life for Maduro and Flores amid conflicting reports about command structures inside Venezuela.
International reactions were swift and mixed. Allies and rivals alike weighed in on the legality and consequences of Washington’s actions. Brazil’s President da Silva called the intervention a breach of international norms, while some regional leaders spoke cautiously about stability and sovereignty.
Opposition figures, including María Corina Machado, welcomed the development. Machado, a leading voice against the Maduro regime, hailed the operation as a pivotal moment and expressed support for a transition toward democratic governance.
Undoubtedly, the fallout from this dramatic intervention will shape U.S.–Latin America relations for years to come.
