US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, had been captured in a US-led operation and flown out of the country, adding that Washington had concluded plans to administer Venezuela for an unspecified period.
Speaking to reporters at his Mar-a-Lago residence, Trump said the operation took place overnight and that Venezuelan military capabilities were neutralised during the mission. He said no US service members were killed and no American equipment was lost.
According to Trump, the United States intends to oversee Venezuela until conditions allow for what he described as a safe and orderly transition of power. He said the goal of the interim administration would be to promote peace, liberty and justice for the Venezuelan population.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio later defended the mission, which he described as successful. He said Maduro and Flores were being transported aboard the USS Iwo Jima to New York, where they are expected to face trial.
Rubio said the operation could not be disclosed in advance to Congress because of its nature, explaining that it depended on specific conditions being met over several nights. He said advance notification would have jeopardised the mission and described it primarily as a law enforcement action.
Meanwhile, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Dan Caine, said one US aircraft was struck during the operation but remained operational and returned safely. He said all aircraft involved completed the mission and returned without losses.
Caine also said US intelligence teams played a key role by providing real-time information to forces on the ground, allowing them to operate safely in a complex environment. He added that US troops encountered resistance while withdrawing from Venezuela but remained in the region following the operation.
He described the mission as evidence of the US military’s commitment to accountability and stability, and thanked the personnel involved in carrying it out.
