In a dramatic overnight operation, US Special Forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro on Saturday, with President Donald Trump announcing that the US would temporarily administer the country. The raid, which knocked out electricity in parts of Caracas, resulted in at least 40 deaths, according to the New York Times.
Trump, speaking from his Mar-a-Lago resort, said the US would 'run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition.' He emphasised that the US could not risk 'someone else takes over Venezuela who doesn’t have the interests of Venezuelans in mind.' The president described the attack as 'an assault like people have not seen since World War Two.'
A plane carrying Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, landed at Stewart Air National Guard Base in upstate New York. Maduro is expected to be transferred to New York City for processing and will appear in court by Monday evening. Video from the White House showed Maduro in handcuffs at the US Drug Enforcement Administration offices.
Trump indicated that US oil companies would invest billions to repair Venezuela's oil infrastructure, stating, 'We’re going to have our very large US oil companies... fix the badly broken infrastructure... and start making money for the country.' He added that a second, larger attack was possible if needed.
The operation drew condemnation from Democrats and international leaders as a dangerous example of US imperialism. Despite Maduro's capture, his government appears to remain in control, and Vice-President Delcy Rodríguez, reportedly sworn in after the capture, maintained a defiant tone in a televised address.
