In a dramatic operation that shocked the world, US forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, in Caracas and transported them to New York to face criminal charges. Following the arrests, President Donald Trump announced that the United States would assume temporary control of Venezuela, overseeing the country until a safe and orderly transition could be arranged.
“We are going to run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition,” Trump said during a news conference at Mar-a-Lago. “We can’t take a chance that somebody else takes over Venezuela who doesn’t have the good of the Venezuelan people in mind.”
Washington Takes the Helm
Trump said the US would manage Venezuela with the help of a leadership group, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine. However, he provided few details about how the interim administration would function.
Trump claimed that Venezuela’s vice president, Delcy Rodríguez, had been sworn in as Maduro’s successor and was willing to cooperate with US plans, although the Venezuelan government has not confirmed this. The president also emphasized that US companies would invest billions to repair Venezuela’s oil infrastructure, and warned that a larger military operation could follow if necessary.
Legal Justifications and Political Backlash
At the same press conference, Secretary Rubio defended the operation, saying it did not require congressional approval. He framed the arrest as a law enforcement action backed by the military, citing Maduro’s 2020 US indictment and $50 million reward for his capture. Trump added that Congress was not informed to prevent leaks of the operation.
The move drew sharp criticism from Democrats. Senator Mark Warner argued that the operation set a dangerous precedent, asking what would stop other countries from using the same justification to target US allies. Warner also highlighted what he described as hypocrisy in the administration’s approach, comparing the intervention in Venezuela to Trump’s pardon of former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández, convicted of drug trafficking in the US.
Support, Risks, and an Uncertain Future
Republicans in Congress largely supported the operation. Senator Roger Wicker praised Trump for a “successful mission” to arrest Maduro and weaken narcotics-related criminal networks. Analysts, however, warned of potential instability in Venezuela, including military splits, civil conflict, and the rise of criminal organizations.
Daniel DePetris of the Defense Priorities think tank said the operation’s long-term impact remains uncertain. “Whether that change will be positive or negative in the long-term remains to be seen,” he said. “A split in the military, expansion of criminal groups, civil war, or the emergence of an even worse autocrat are all possible scenarios, none of which would be good for regional stability or US interests.”
The Trump administration’s rationale for targeting Maduro has shifted over recent months, ranging from combatting drug trafficking and reclaiming oil resources to promoting democratic change. Analysts caution that, despite US concerns, Venezuela remains a bankrupt state with a collapsed economy, limiting its capacity to pose a major threat in the Western Hemisphere.
