US President Donald Trump said the US would run Venezuela until a transition could be organised, hours after an “unprecedented” US operation was carried out in the Latin American country to capture its leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife.
“We’re going to run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition,” Trump said Saturday at a press conference at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. “So we don’t want to be involved with having somebody else get in, and we have the same situation that we had for the last long period of years,” he added.
Trump said the US administration in Venezuela would include deploying American oil companies to the country. “We’re going to have our very large United States oil companies, the biggest anywhere in the world, go in, spend billions of dollars, fix the badly broken infrastructure, the oil infrastructure, and start making money for the country,” he said.
Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores were captured and flown out of Venezuela after American strikes, marking an extraordinary escalation in Trump’s months-long campaign against the country. In the hours after, the couple was indicted with charges of “narco-terrorism”.
The move came after Trump assembled military forces in the region for months, authorised attacks on alleged drug-running boats and orchestrated a blockade of sanctioned oil tankers going to and leaving Venezuela.
The Venezuelan government earlier Saturday declared a state of emergency. Defence Minister Vladimir Padrino López termed US action as an “invasion”, while Russia, China and Iran condemned US action.
Venezuela | UPDATES
11.10 pm: India advises citizens not to travel to Venezuela
External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal tweets a statement, which “strongly advises” Indians from travelling to Venezuela at this time. It also lists out phone numbers for Indians in Venezuela to restrict their movements and get in touch with the Indian embassy there if needed.
Advisory for Venezuela ⬇️
🔗 https://t.co/vz4hBkOhVx pic.twitter.com/hzJsL3WQBL
— Randhir Jaiswal (@MEAIndia) January 3, 2026
11.04 pm: Trump ‘not thrilled with Putin’
Trump admits he isn’t “thrilled with” Russian President Vladimir Putin, who–he says–is killing too many people. The US President says he’d believed that the Ukraine-Russia war was an easier one to stop.
“If I were President, that war would have never happened. But I inherited that war,” Trump says.
11 pm: US not in touch with Machado
Trump says his government was not in touch with Opposition leader Machado.
“It might be tough for her to take power because she doesn’t have the support within…” he says.
“That war has become a bloodbath,” Trump adds, ending the press conference.
10.59 pm: Oil business a recurring topic
“In terms of other countries that want oil, we’re in the oil business. We’re going to sell it. We’re not going to say we’re not going to go. In other words, we’ll be selling oil…Probably in much larger doses, because they couldn’t produce very much because their infrastructure was so bad,” Trump says, when asked about Russia and China’s stakes in Venezuelan oil trade.
10.57 pm: We need good neighbours… energy, says Trump
On a question about how long the US could run Venezuela, Trump says he doesn’t know yet. He wants it to be “quickly”, but such things can take time, he says.
An American team is working with Venezuelan people for now, the US President says, when asked who would run the country.
How is this America first, asks a reporter. Trump responds, saying “we need good neighbours” and we need energy.
10.55 pm: Maduro was trying to escape to a ‘safe place’
He was trying to get into a “safe place” when US forces entered his house, Trump says in response to a question during the press conference. “He made it to the door. He was unable to close it,” Trump says.
Asked about US’s “mixed track records” on foreign intervention, he says, “With me, we’ve had a perfect track record of winning. We win… a lot.”
10.50 pm: ‘In talks with people for transition’
On a question from a journalist on who will run the country, Trump iterates that the US will until a safe transition is achieved.
“Not doing this in vain. We’ll ensure the country is run properly,” he says, adding that the US is in talks with people for transition.
Pressed on talks with Venezuela Vice-President, Trump says US Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke to her recently and though she was selected by Maduro, she appears to be “ready” to do what is needed.
10.48pm: ‘Money out the ground’
On running Venezuela, Trump says it won’t cost the US “anything” because the “money coming out of the ground is very substantial”.
“The oil companies are going to go in, they’re going to spend money there. Then we’re going to take back the oil that, frankly, we should have taken back a long time ago… A lot of money is coming out of the ground. We’re going to get reimbursed for all of that,” he says.
10.45 pm: 150 aircraft involved in audacious operation, says Gen Caine
General Dan Caine, the highest-ranking military officer of the armed forces, takes the mantle next.
He says the operation to “extract” the “indicted persons” began months ago. All arms of the American forces had to work in “unison” for this “unprecedented operation”.
“We couldn’t have done this mission without help by intelligence agencies”, including the CIA, NSA and NCA,” Caine says.
He adds, “It was an audacious operation that only the US could do… An extraction so precise that it involved 150 aircraft.”
10.35 pm: Venezuela is ‘free again’
‘Venezuelan people are free again… The dictator and terrorist Maduro is finally gone and Venezuelan people are free,” Trump says.
Trump’s address is followed by a brief speech by Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, who applauds the US President for the American military operation and says under Trump, America is first.
10.30 pm: ‘What happened to Maduro can happen to you’
Trump, in his concluding remarks, says all political leaders should take note of the US operation.
“All political leaders in Venezuela should understand what happened to Maduro can happen to them,” he says.
Before that, Trump credits his administration for “defending” America.
“Other presidents may have lacked the courage to defend America, but I will never…” Trump says, adding that the US operation should “serve as a warning to anyone who threatens” American security.
10.25 pm: Ready for second wave attack, says Trump
The US President says the “lights of Caracas were turned off”… “it was dark” due to American expertise during the operation.
He praised the “breathtaking speed, power, precision and confidence” of the American forces and says the Venezuelan military was “rendered powerless”.
“Not a single American service member was killed and not a single piece of American equipment was lost.” he says.
Trump goes on to say that the US “ready to stage a second and much larger attack”, though they “probably don’t have to”.
LIVE: Trump addresses the nation | US military strikes Venezuela https://t.co/DiEw4bwaiW
— ThePrintIndia (@ThePrintIndia) January 3, 2026
10.20 pm: ‘Our oil companies will go to Venezuela’
“We’re going to have our large oil companies go in, fix the broken oil infrastructure, and start making money for the country,” Trump says.
10.15 pm: Ready to run country till transition is achieved, Trump says
In a stunning address, Trump plainly says, “We will run the country till we have a safe, proper, judicious transition. Because that’s what we’re all about. We want peace, liberty and justice…”
10.10 pm: This is big stuff, says Trump
In his remarks from Mar-a-Lago resort, Donald Trump starts his address with, “This is big stuff.”
At his direction, US armed forces carried out an “extraordinary military operation” in Venezuela’s capital, in a “spectacular” assault not “unseen since World War 2”.
The capture of “outlaw dictator Maduro” and his wife was “successful”, he says.
9.55 pm: Trump releases ‘proof of life’ image of Maduro
Trump has released what appears to be the first photo of Maduro in US captivity, apparently on board the US warship that is transporting him and his wife to New York.
The image, posted on Trump’s Truth Social account, shows Maduro in a grey tracksuit with glasses covering his eyes, ear-muffs and a water bottle in his hand.
Nicolas Maduro on board the USS Iwo Jima. pic.twitter.com/omF2UpDJhA
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) January 3, 2026
9.30 pm: UN concerned ‘international law not respected’
United Nations chief Antonio Guterres says he is “deeply alarmed by escalation in Venezuela, culminating with US military action today” and “concerned that international law hasn’t been respected”.
“He calls on all actors in Venezuela to engage in inclusive dialogue, in respect of human rights & rule of law,” the statement adds.
9.25 pm: Machado says ‘hour of freedom has arrived’
Venezuela’s Opposition leader Maria Corina Machado said in a statement written in Spanish and released on X that Maduro will face “international justice for the atrocious crimes committed against Venezuelans”.
“We have fought for years, we have given everything, and it has been worth it. What had to happen is happening. We are going to restore order, free political prisoners, build an exceptional country, and bring our children back home,” she said.
The Opposition leader urged Venezuelans to “be ready to set in motion what we will very soon communicate to you through our official channels”.
The statement was titled, “The hour of freedom has arrived.”
Her stand-in presidential candidate Eduardo Gonzales tweets, “Venezuelans, these are decisive hours. Know that we are ready for the great operation of rebuilding our nation.”
9.20 pm: ‘CIA source within Maduro govt helped US’
The New York Times has reported that a source of US’s foreign intelligence agency CIA within the Venezuelan government helped American forces locate Maduro and his wife ahead of the operation. According to the report, the agency also used drones for inputs.
9 pm: US releases indictment
Attorney General Pam Bondi released a US Department of Justice document on X, detailing the charges against Maduro and his wife.
“Nicolas Maduro Moros, the defendant, is at the forefront of that corruption and has partnered with his co-conspirators to use his illegally obtained authority and the institutions he corroded to transport thousands of tons of cocaine to the United States,” it reads.
UNSEALED INDICTMENT
Thank you US Attorney Jay Claytonhttps://t.co/2URgPKQ25k
— Attorney General Pamela Bondi (@AGPamBondi) January 3, 2026
8.30 pm: China ‘strongly condemns’ US’s use of force
In first official response hours after news emerged of the US strikes and raid in Venezuela, the Chinese foreign ministry says in a statement that it is “deeply shocked by and strongly condemns the US’s blatant use of force against a sovereign state and action against its president”.
“Such hegemonic acts of the U.S. seriously violate international law and Venezuela’s sovereignty, and threaten peace and security in Latin America and the Caribbean region. China firmly opposes it… We call on the US to abide by international law and the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, and stop violating other countries’ sovereignty and security,” the statement says.
Just hours before the American raid, Maduro had received a high-level Chinese delegation in Caracas Friday. This included Special Representative of the Chinese government on Latin American Affairs Qiu Xiaoqi.
8.15 pm: Told Maduro to ‘give up… surrender’, says Trump
Trump says he spoke to Maduro a week ago and told him, “You have to give up. You have to surrender.”
Maduro and his wife are aboard the USS Iwo Jima, which is heading to New York, he adds.
The American President also admitted to his interest in Venezuela’s oil industry, telling Fox News that the US is going to be “strongly involved”.
While Venezuela has some of the world’s largest oil reserves, its role as a player in global markets has significantly declined following a precipitous output slump that began in 2015, reports Bloomberg. It currently produces just shy of a million barrels a day—less than 1 percent of global output—most of which goes to China.
Also Read: ‘Son of Chávez, dictator, alleged narco-trafficker’—who is Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro
8.10 pm: More details emerge of the ‘capture’
According to Venezuela leaders, Maduro and his wife were at their home inside a military base when they were captured.
Trump also told Fox News in his phone interview that he saw the raid real-time, like a television show. “If you would’ve seen the speed, the violence, it was an amazing thing,” Trump said, adding that US forces broke through “steel doors’ to seize the couple.
8.05 pm: We’re deciding, Trump on future of Venezuela
Asked about what the US is thinking on governance in Venezuela, Trump tells Fox News, “Well, we’re making that decision now.”
He goes on to say the US “can’t take a chance of letting somebody else run it and just take over what he (Maduro) left off”.
“We’ll be involved in it very much. And we want to do liberty for the people,” he says.
The US President admits Maduro was trying to “negotiate” at the end. “But I said, ‘No, we can’t do it.’ What he did with drugs is bad,” Trump says.
8 pm: Trump says Maduro to be taken to New York
Trump tells Fox News in an interview that Maduro and his wife will be taken to New York to face trial in charges against them. He says some of the US personnel were injured during the raid in Venezuela, but there weren’t any American casualties.
Reports have previously said Trump had approved the plan earlier. The raid was originally planned for Christmas, 25 December 2025, but US’s strike in Nigeria took precedence at the time.
7.55 pm: More on Maduro
7.50 pm: Return Maduro, Venezuela Foreign Minister tells US
Foreign Minister Yván Gil tells state media that the “elected president” is President Maduro. He goes on to say that his “physical presence must be restored immediately” by the US.
“Our armed forces are deployed, the police also deployed, the public also deployed. Everything is active in defence of the homeland and sovereignty. Have faith that this is a strong state,” he says.
7.45 pm: ‘Maduro, his wife dragged from bed’
A CNN report quotes two sources as saying that Maduro and the First Lady were dragged from their bed by American forces during the raid.
If confirmed, it would be a remarkable fall for a leader who has historically wielded excess power, even against its own, in Venezuela.
7.35 pm: What common people think of Maduro’s ‘capture’
Many on social media websites appear to agree that Maduro was a divisive and autocratic leader, but say that this unilateral action is concerning, given that the West and particularly the US, has a history of toppling countries.
There’s also the question of world leaders allowing the more-powerful to get away with anything. “If Xi Jinping invaded Taiwan right now, and toppled the president there, on what grounds would the United States object? Or have any credibility to say anything,” questioned one user on X.
Another user said US’s move, exceptional as it was, would legitimise any major power’s ability to carry out such operations on foreign soil elsewhere.
The American operation is contrary to Trump’s proclaimed stand that he wants to stop wars and promote peace. In this first year of his second term as President, the US has carried out strikes against Iran, Yemen, Nigeria and Syria. Venezuela is now added to the list.
7.30 pm: Trump does what he means, says his deputy
In a post, US Vice-President J.D. Vance says, “The President offered multiple off ramps, but was very clear throughout this process: the drug trafficking must stop, and the stolen oil must be returned to the United States. Maduro is the newest person to find out that President Trump means what he says…”
He also addresses the question on legality of the strikes:
And PSA for everyone saying this was "illegal":
Maduro has multiple indictments in the United States for narcoterrorism. You don't get to avoid justice for drug trafficking in the United States because you live in a palace in Caracas.
— JD Vance (@JDVance) January 3, 2026
7.25 pm: No reaction from New Delhi till now
The Indian government hasn’t made any official response yet. But CPI(M) General Secretary M.A. Baby told news agency ANI that the US action in Venezuela was “quite shocking and painful”.
“Being a fellow non-aligned country, the Government of India should come forward immediately, condemning the unjustifiable naked aggression of the US on Venezuela,” he said.
7.10 pm: China yet to react, tells citizens not to travel to Venezuela
Though Beijing is yet to react to the American operation, it has warned citizens against travelling to Venezuela “in the near future”, according to a statement issued by the foreign ministry and cited by state media outlet Xinhua.
7 pm: US’s rocky ties with Venezuela go back a decade
The genesis of the crisis started almost three decades ago with the election of Hugo Chávez as the President of the South American country in 1998. Chávez, the self-ascribed Leftist leader of Venezuela, once compared US President George W. Bush to Hitler and called for the banning of the celebration of Halloween due to it being a “terror-game”.
Read more about the history on this report by ThePrint’s Keshav Padmanabhan.
6.50 pm: First images of US strike impact
6.45 pm: Trump administration now informing Congress leadership
A source quoted by CNN says the Trump administration is informing the congressional leadership and committees about the American operation in Venezuela. It has typically been a procedure for American governments in the past to inform congressional leaders before an operation like this.
6.40 pm: Unprecedented removal of a foreign leader
Reports say there is no exact precedent for the US sending its force into Venezuela to simply extract a sitting president.
The closest comparison, writes Joe Inwood for the BBC, would be the capture of Panama’s leader Manuel Noriega in 1990.
While there are multiple similarities, in the 1990 case, US fought a brief war with Panamanian forces. Part of the losing side, Noriega hid at the Vatican embassy, where he was subjected to constant playing of “loud rock music, including The Clash, Van Halen and U2”, the report says. He handed himself over to the US soon after.
Incidentally, Noriega was captured on the same date, 3 January, as Maduro.
6.25 pm: Maduro was ‘handpicked’ by Chavez as his successor
A former bus driver and union organiser for Caracas’s metro system, Maduro built his rise on loyalty—first to the working class, then to Hugo Chávez, his political mentor and predecessor, reports Bloomberg.
Chávez handpicked Maduro as his successor in December 2012 before departing to Cuba for what would be his final round of cancer treatment. “My firm, complete, absolute opinion,” Chávez had said on television, “is that if something happens to me, you elect Nicolás Maduro as president.”
6.10 pm: Maduro & First Lady indicted, says US Attorney General
US Attorney General Pam Bondi says in an X post that Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores have been indicted on charges of narco-terrorism conspiracy in New York. “They will soon face the full wrath of American justice on American soil in American courts,” Bondi writes.
Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, have been indicted in the Southern District of New York. Nicolas Maduro has been charged with Narco-Terrorism Conspiracy, Cocaine Importation Conspiracy, Possession of Machineguns and Destructive Devices, and Conspiracy to Possess…
— Attorney General Pamela Bondi (@AGPamBondi) January 3, 2026
6.05pm: Russia seeks ‘clarification’ on Maduro’s ‘capture’
The Russian foreign ministry said that Maduro’s “forcible capture”, if true, constituted an “unacceptable violation of sovereignty of an independent State”.
“We call for immediate clarification of this situation,” it added.
6 pm: What will happen in Venezuela next? Experts speculate
With US government officials indicating there won’t be any more action by American military, defence and political experts believe what happens next in the Latin American country depends on these key factors:
- Vice President Delcy Rodríguez, Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello, and Defence Minister Vladimir Padrino – either could take charge of a post-Maduro government
- How the public responds. Venezuelans have for long opposed Maduro, who is believed to have won the election fraudulently. This could eventually dictate how the country’s military reacts, if protests and demands for a regime change erupt.
- Could Opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, who won the last Nobel Peace Prize, return to Venezuela to stake claim? Machado’s stand-in presidential candidate Edmundo González had claimed that he had actually won the 2024 election. He is believed to be in Spain.
Machado’s location is not known yet. After her Nobel Peace Prize in mid-December, she had said she intends to return to Venezuela, and her team was ready to take power within a day of Maduro’s ouster.
According to CBS News, a spokesperson for Machado has declined to comment on the development in Venezuela Saturday.
5.45 pm: The West reacts cautiously, EU calls for ‘restraint’
European Union’s foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas says that she has spoken to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and EU’s envoy to Caracas.
“The EU has repeatedly stated that Mr Maduro lacks legitimacy and has defended a peaceful transition. Under all circumstances, the principles of international law and the UN Charter must be respected. We call for restraint,” she wrote on X.
Following very closely the situation in Venezuela. We stand by the people of Venezuela and support a peaceful and democratic transition. Any solution must respect international law and the UN Charter.
With HRVP @kajakallas and in coordination with EU Member States, we are…
— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) January 3, 2026
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said his government is “closely monitoring events in Venezuela.” He too called for “de-escalation”.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer says he hasn’t spoken to the US President, but he will. “I want to establish the facts first. As you know, I always say and believe that we should uphold international law,” he says.
The UK Prime Minister iterates that the country was not involved in the strikes in Venezuela in any manner.
5.40 pm: Situation in Venezuela terse
Reports say there appears to be an uneasy calm across the Latin American country after chaos of the air strikes.
NASA satellites have detected heat signatures near Fort Tiuna, a key Venezuelan military installation, CNN reported.
Others quoted Caracas residents as saying that streets in the capital city were completely empty and most people can’t believe what was happening. Some others said they had mixed feelings because the country has for long wanted to rid themselves of Maduro.
In 2014, Maduro had cracked down on widespread anti-government protests, killing many and throwing others in jail.
5.25 pm: How the South American country has responded
Venezuela’s Vice-President Delcy Rodríguez said that the government does not know the whereabouts of Maduro or First Lady. She demanded proof of life from the US.
The country’s defence minister Vladimir Padrino said US also struck urban areas with missiles and rockets.
Another government official was quoted as saying by CNN that US only “partially” achieved its goals in the operation.
5.20 pm: What’s behind the US action? ThePrint explains
5.15 pm: Strikes went beyond Caracas
International media has quoted the Venezuelan government as saying that military and civilian targets had been hit across three states. This, according to the government, was a US attempt to seize the country’s oil resources.
Sky News, on its live channel, showed footage of a Venezuelan tank on a street. The location could not be confirmed.
5.10 pm: Was it a ‘negotiated exit’ for Maduro?
Sources in the Venezuela opposition have said the American operation to “capture” Maduro and his wife was part of a “negotiated exit” between Maduro and the US, Sky News has reported.
The claim, if it proves to be accurate, complicates US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s stand, as cited by a US Senator, that Maduro will face trial for crimes in the US.
5.06 pm: Russia condemns attack in a sharp statement
The Russian foreign ministry condemned American aggression and Colombian President Gustavo Petro called for an urgent United Nations Security Council meeting on the developments. Trump’s ally Argentina President Javier Milei, however, applauded the news.
“The US committed an act of armed aggression against Venezuela, which gives rise to deep concern and warrants condemnation. The pretexts used to justify these actions are untenable. Russia reaffirms its solidarity with the Venezuelan people,” the Russian foreign ministry said in a statement.
Iran too condemned the attack, calling it a “flagrant violation of the national sovereignty and territorial integrity of” Venezuela, according to news agency AFP.
5 pm: Republican Senator says Maduro will be tried for crimes in US
Mike Lee, the Senator from Utah, wrote on X that according to his conversation with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro “has been arrested by U.S. personnel to stand trial on criminal charges in the United States”.
Lee also said that the “kinetic action” witnessed in Caracas was deployed to “protect and defend those executing the arrest warrant”.
Wow. He got elected on the promise that US wouldn’t get itself involved in wars like this and so far it seems like that promise is not going to be fulfilled.
This also gives justification to other countries to get their own nuclear weapons because we don’t know when American suddenly becomes interested in toppling regimes.
Also Venezuela was not really the hub for narcotics. It’s Mexico and Colombia. What’s the other reason for invading this country ? Maduro is a dictator ? Well, in that case the whole of Middle East will have to be invaded.
I am not even anti America like the communists in our country but how can anyone in their right mind support this ? I can’t find any good reasons.
Good precedence for all other democracies. Find fault in neighbours, pick their heads of state.