Key points
- US used overwhelming air, land and sea power
- Venezuelan military capabilities rendered powerless, Trump claims
- No US casualties or equipment losses reported
- Maduro and wife face US justice, Trump says
- Trump warns of second, larger strikes if needed
- US links operation to drug trafficking allegations
WASHINGTON: United States President Donald Trump on Saturday said the US military carried out a dramatic overnight operation in Venezuela’s capital Caracas, plunging the city into darkness and seizing President Nicolás Maduro, as Washington announced it would temporarily “run” the country until a political transition is completed.
Speaking at a press conference in Florida, Trump claimed American forces used “overwhelming” power by air, land, and sea to strike what he described as a heavily fortified military site in the heart of Caracas.
“It was dark. The lights of Caracas were largely turned off due to a certain expertise that we have,” Trump said, adding that the blackout allowed US troops to carry out what he called an “extraordinary” mission.
“At my direction, the U.S. Armed Forces conducted an extraordinary military operation in the capital of Venezuela…This was one of the most stunning, effective, and powerful displays of American military might and competence in American history.” – PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/QibvrRKsSv
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) January 3, 2026
According to Trump, Venezuelan military capabilities were “rendered powerless” during the assault, and resistance forces were “completely overwhelmed and very quickly incapacitated,” despite being in a “ready position.
“No nation in the world could achieve what America achieved yesterday,” he said, describing the operation as a “stunning, effective and powerful display of American military might” aimed at bringing Maduro “to justice”.
US claims Maduro in custody
Trump said both Maduro and his wife were now facing “American justice, claiming they had been indicted in the Southern District of New York over what he alleged was a “campaign of deadly narco-terrorism” against the United States.
“Maduro and his wife will soon face the full might of American justice and stand trial on American soil.” – President Donald J. Trump 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/aFag9QOkpH
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) January 3, 2026
Trump claimed US courts had “overwhelming evidence” of crimes committed by Maduro, alleging that he had waged a “ceaseless campaign of violence, terror and subversion” against the United States and the wider region.
Maduro has repeatedly denied US accusations linking him to drug trafficking networks, including the so-called Cartel de los Soles.
The US president said no American service member was killed during the operation and no military equipment was lost, praising US troops for their “breathtaking speed, power, precision and competence”.
‘We’re going to run the country’
Trump said Washington would take control of Venezuela’s governance during an interim period.
“We’re going to run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper, and judicious transition,” he told reporters, adding that the US wanted to avoid a repeat of past political arrangements in Venezuela.
He warned that US forces were prepared to launch a second, “much bigger” wave of strikes if required, though he said the success of the initial operation made further attacks unlikely.
“We were ready for a second wave. We assumed it would be necessary. Given the success of last night’s attack, it probably won’t be.”
Drug trafficking claims
During the briefing, Trump also linked the operation to drug enforcement, alleging that Venezuela was a major source of illicit narcotics entering the United States.
He claimed the US had already “knocked out 97 per cent of drugs coming in by sea” and alleged that each drug-smuggling boat resulted in tens of thousands of deaths. These figures have not been independently verified.
Trump also accused previous US administrations of neglecting security threats in the Western Hemisphere, claiming Venezuela had increasingly hosted foreign adversaries and acquired offensive weapons.
Nicolas Maduro on board the USS Iwo Jima. pic.twitter.com/omF2UpDJhA
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) January 3, 2026
US oil companies to enter Venezuela
Trump said American oil companies would be allowed to enter Venezuela to revive its oil sector, which he described as being in collapse despite the country’s vast crude reserves.
“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, adding that the US oil embargo on Venezuela would remain in force.
He claimed a US–Venezuela “partnership” would make Venezuelans “rich, independent and safe”.
Trump described Maduro as an “illegitimate dictator” and warned Venezuelan political and military figures that the operation should serve as a warning, saying: “What happened to Maduro could happen to you.”
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth later praised the operation, saying American forces had demonstrated the ability to “project our will anywhere, anytime”.
